


The Middle Ground

by punkcatknitter



Category: NCIS
Genre: Case Fic, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Families of Choice, Foster Care, Gen, Kid Fic, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 01:59:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 63,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3832801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkcatknitter/pseuds/punkcatknitter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On a case, a little girl imprints on McGee like a baby duck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

" _I wasn't there the moment you first learned to breathe  
But I'm on my way"*_

*"On My Way" by Boyce Avenue

The message, which had arrived sometime between a 3 A.M. online gaming victory and when McGee's alarm had gone off at six thirty, still sat unopened. McGee maneuvered the cursor over the email. He hesitated again, letting go of the mouse and sighing. This really was ridiculous. He could face an armed suspect without a second thought but he was afraid to read an email from his daddy?

McGee glanced around the room as if he were doing something wrong by checking his personal email at work. He always felt like as soon as he opened something Gibbs would be behind him, watching.

Not that Gibbs usually begrudged them personal time when they didn't have a case, because he really didn't. Just liked to scare the crap out of them when they were caught, in what McGee assumed was Gibb's own way of keeping them on their toes.

Gibbs especially didn't care when they were all caught up with paperwork, which they were, or at least McGee was. Tony had spent the past several hours doing a variety of things that didn't have anything to do with work, but McGee would hesitate to say he hadn't gotten his paperwork done, because he had seen Tony pull far stranger feats in the past.

Ziva was seated at her desk leaning over a magazine. Her paperwork was almost always done on time, leaving McGee to hope she wouldn't get bored and decide to sneak up behind him and read his email.

It was probably nothing, he thought to himself, staring at the message in his inbox. Just a casual message. But it was the first time his father had initiated a conversation with him since McGee had called home a few weeks back, and he couldn't seem to help feeling nervous.

Renewed with motivation, McGee clicked on the email before he could change his mind and leaned forward in his chair. He skimmed the message, which was short and to the point.

"You've got to be kidding me." McGee squinted at the computer screen in front of him.

Across the room at his own desk, Tony appeared to be perfecting his paper airplane design. He had his chair tilted back and his feet crossed on his desk as he folded the wings. "What's the matter, McGeek? Your Elf friends mad at you?"

McGee decided to ignore the second question. "It's my father."

"I didn't know you were in contact with your father again." Ziva looked up from her reading with a curious look on her face.

"I wasn't, until Penny talked me into calling him a couple weeks ago," McGee admitted.

Tony perked up, dropping the half built airplane on his desk and putting his feet back on the ground. "Your grandmother talked you into it?

"Yeah." McGee rolled his eyes. Tony was such a gossip. The man was practically rubbing his hands together in glee.

Tony wiggled back in his chair, giving McGee his full attention. "So, you and your father hadn't been talking before then."

"Not much, no." He reread the email again. "But now that we are talking, he feels the need to inform me of my responsibility to provide my mother with grandchildren."

Tony let out a loud snicker. "Did you tell him your last girlfriend was inflatable?"

"Tony," Ziva warned, half smirking. "Let McGee tell his story."

"That was pretty much it." McGee sighed and read the email out loud. "Timothy, your mother is pleased that you called but would like some grandchildren before she dies and it is your responsibility to provide her with them."

Ziva let out a small snort of laughter and Tony stared in amazement. "Does it really say that?"

McGee leaned back and shrugged while the two of them fell over each other to read the email. When they had both finished, Tony looked amused and Ziva amazed.

"I believe our fathers are two beans in a pod," Ziva said, sitting on the edge of McGee's desk.

"Peas," Tony corrected her. "Peas in a pod."

Ziva dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Neither of them apparently require niceties before ordering us to do their bidding."

"Apparently not," McGee agreed. "I don't know why I'm surprised. He's always done stuff like this."

"Stuff like what, McGee?"

The trio all leapt to their feet as Gibbs strode past, ever present cup of coffee in one hand.

"Nothing, Boss." McGee made the email disappear with a couple keystrokes. "We got a case?"

Tony and Ziva were already getting their gear when Gibbs responded. "Put your gear down, we don't have a crime scene yet. Lieutenant Brian Flynn reported his ex-wife Christina and their two children missing this morning. She was supposed to drop them off at the Lieutenant's house last night."

McGee sat down again and began typing furiously. Ten minutes later he began putting documents on the plasma screen. "Lieutenant Flynn and his wife divorced last month after the birth of their second child. He petitioned the court for full custody due to his wife having a prescription drug problem which was granted. The judge agreed to let his wife have visitation providing she checked into a rehab center."

"Did she?" Gibbs asked.

McGee shook his head. "She was scheduled to check in this morning."

"Ziva, start looking into where the wife may have gone. Tony, get the Lieutenant in here for an interview ASAP and McGee, start checking cell phone and credit card records."

"Of course."

"On it, Boss."

"Yes, Boss."

The trio went to work typing furiously at their respective computers while Gibbs grabbed a stack of papers off of the fax machine and began scanning the missing persons report Metro PD had just sent over.

Tony was the first to speak. "Boss, Lieutenant Flynn isn't answering his cell or his home phone and Metro PD said he left immediately after filing the missing person's report."

Gibbs looked less than pleased.

"Christina Flynn was an only child," Ziva reported, skimming the information in front of her. Her parents are both deceased but there appears to be a grandmother living in Palm Springs. I'm getting the number as we speak."

Gibbs nodded as Ziva picked up the phone and began dialing. "McGee?"

"Her cell phone is turned off so I can't track it but she made several calls last night to a woman named Alison Penn. I'm checking the connection between the two right now."

"Gibbs?" Ziva hung up the phone. "According to the retirement home, the grandmother is on safari in Tanzania. She isn't due to return to the states for another three weeks."

Gibbs let out a low grunt of displeasure. "Tony-"

"I just put a BOLO out on the wife's car."

"I just received pictures of the children from Metro." Ziva added before he could ask.

"Good." Gibbs nodded. "Better put out an Amber Alert."

A few minutes later McGee looked up. "Boss, Alison Penn was Christina Flynn's roommate in college. She currently lives in Burlington, Vermont and one of Lieutenant Flynn's credit cards appears to have been used at a gas station about a half hour away."

Gibbs' face softened. "Someone book us a flight."

"Already done, Boss." McGee looked pleased with himself.

"Now get moving!" Gibbs declared loudly, grabbing his gun and badge and heading for the elevator as everyone clamored behind him.

* * *

The rented black SUV parked several hundred feet down the road from the driveway. Alison Penn lived in a beige single wide trailer set back from the road on a dirt drive. McGee had called her employer on the plane ride only to find she was in New York taking a new business course.

The team approached the trailer cautiously. Christina Flynn's car was in the driveway, but no lights were on despite it being nearly dusk.

"This is way too easy," Tony murmured. "Something bad is going to happen, I just know it."

"Very reassuring, Tony." Ziva rolled her eyes.

"What? Pick any movie, Ziva. This is where the least important character gets killed off in a variety of gruesome ways."

"Then perhaps you should watch your back."

McGee rolled his eyes at their banter.

Gibbs, in the meantime, was silently surveying the property. "McGee, you and Ziva watch the back while Tony and I try the front."

Ziva took the lead and McGee followed her obediently through the clumps of trees and through the long grass to the trailer's back porch.

"Stop." Ziva's voice brought him to an immediate halt. She pointed to a clump of poison ivy near the back door. "Stay away from there. We do not need to you itching all over the place again."

"Thank you," McGee murmured appreciatively. That was the last thing he needed.

The two stood silently together, hands on their weapons as they listened to Gibbs announce NCIS's presence loudly, then kick in the front door. After a long tense moment, Tony opened the back door and motioned them in.

As the Ziva and McGee walked in, several things were immediately clear. One, something terrible had happened here. There was blood splatter all over the walls and a large stain on the living room carpet. However, there was no body visible anywhere.

The second thing, was that there was a baby crying.

"What happened?" McGee asked, mostly to himself. There had obviously been a struggle. Furniture had been pushed askew and anything that had once been lying on a table or surface had been smashed or knocked onto the floor.

Gibbs strode into the room holding a small baby in one arm. "That's what we're going to find out. Tony, you and Ziva go get the gear out of the car and start processing the scene. McGee, you start searching."

"Searching for what?" he asked without thinking.

Gibbs gave him a stare that caused McGee to swallow nervously. "The Flynn's had two children, McGee. This would be the baby, Gavin. They also had a three year old daughter named Beth who's either with the mother, or she's hiding somewhere. Start looking."

"Right, Boss."

McGee started with all the obvious places, behind the couch, under the kitchen table, then he began searching more intensively, checking cupboards and closets.

"Find anything?" Gibbs asked as McGee passed by him in the living room. Gibbs was changing the babies diaper on the couch, which happened to be in the one corner of the room that appeared untouched by blood. McGee was a little surprised at first, Gibbs being so rigid about not contaminating crime scenes, but then he noticed an evidence bag protecting the couch and he smiled to himself.

"Not yet. I still have the two bedrooms to check though."

Gibbs nodded and turned his attention to Ziva and Tony, who had just gotten back to the trailer. He began giving them instructions as Tim slipped down the slender hallway.

The first bedroom had obviously been used as an office, sparsely furnished with a desk and file cabinet. It had also obviously been where Gibbs had found the baby, as there was a small portable crib in one corner. McGee wrinkled his nose at the smell of sour milk and stale urine. He peered inside the portable crib and grimaced at the stain inside. Whatever happened here, it had to have been several hours ago for the baby to make a mess like that.

The second bedroom didn't have many furnishings either, just a tall dresser and a mattress and box spring directly on the floor. McGee opened the closet, the final hiding place he could think of and peered inside. He was just about to push past the clothes when he heard a tiny sniffle.

He grabbed his flashlight and crouched down in front of the open closet. Shining the light inside, past the shoes and hanging clothing was a tiny shaking body and two scared looking eyes.

"Hey," he said softly, reaching out slowly. "You must be Beth."

The little girl shrunk back as far as she could.

"It's okay," McGee told her. "I'm a policeman. I came here to help you." It was easier than trying to explain to a toddler what NCIS was, and it seemed to work. The little girl no longer looked like she was trying to disappear into the wall behind her, but she wasn't moving closer either.

"My boss found your baby brother," McGee tried, but the girl didn't budge.

"McGee, the boss wants to know-"

"Shhh!" McGee shushed Tony as he stood in the doorway. He motioned towards the closet with his head. Tony nodded and kept quiet, staying in the doorway to see what happened.

"I need to make sure you're okay," McGee said honestly. He heard footsteps coming down the hallway and the little girl flinched. How was she supposed to know that they were the good guys?

"Please? I know you're scared," McGee told her in as soothing a tone as he could. "I'm going to make sure nothing bad happens, I promise."

With Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs all watching the scene unfold, the little girl launched herself out from her hiding place and wrapped her arms and legs around McGee. Surprised by the force of her embrace, he dropped the flashlight and fell backwards onto his bottom.

He sat there stunned for a moment before awkwardly putting his arms around the little girl as she clung to him as if her life depended on it. He looked over her strawberry blond curls to the rest of the team. "Found her, Boss."

* * *

Gibbs didn't realize until the paramedics showed up that little Beth was not going to let go of McGee. One of them tried to pry her off of the man and she kicked, screamed, and even tried to bite the woman. Finally they settled for a cursory inspection. She couldn't be hurt too badly if she was fighting that hard.

Beth was small for her age, and all skin and bones, but Gibbs best guess would be that was normal for her. She was wearing pink stretchy pants and a Hello Kitty t-shirt with a small stain by the hem, which appeared to be purple paint at a glance. Her matching pink socks had holes in the bottom and her curly hair was a mess of riotous curls.

If her hair had been a little darker, she would have looked just like Kelly did at that age. Gibbs swallowed and tried not to focus on that fact, knowing it would only make things harder for him.

Gavin, the baby, smiled a happy gummy smile at Gibbs as he lay him down on the kitchen table to be examined. He barely made a squawk as they installed an IV to give him fluids, just kicked his legs, happy to be dry and in nothing but a diaper.

Tony was talking to one of the local cops about how to get the evidence back to their lab while Ziva was still taking careful notes and photographs of the bloody living room. McGee was sitting in a kitchen chair of in a corner, stroking Beth's back gently as she continued to cling to his chest like a barnacle.

"The local cops are working on getting some dogs to search the woods."

Gibbs looked up when he realized Tony was talking to him.

"Doubt they'll find anything. Ziva found a blood trail that led out the back door, through the poison ivy patch and out to the road, where it stopped. So whoever took the mother is going to be itchy later, but they didn't leave any obvious clues." Tony nodded towards the cop he had been talking to. "Local PD's going to arrange for the evidence to get shipped back to Abby. Should we call social services?"

Gibbs glanced down at Gavin, who was sucking on his fist from his space on the table and watching the two men intently. He shook his head. "We'd better take them back to Washington with us. The girl might have seen something and we're going to have to talk to her."

"Don't we have to have a relative's permission for that?"

"Did Lieutenant Flynn ever call you back?" Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

Tony shook his head. "Um, no."

"We'll deal with social services in Washington. Maybe by then we'll be able to peel the girl off McGee." Gibbs and Tony both looked over at the man in question, who still looked very uncomfortable with his position.

"I'll call ahead and let everyone know."

The female paramedic finished putting a doo-hicky on Gavin's arm so he wouldn't pull the IV out and picked the baby up. Gibbs gestured for her to pass the baby to him, and she hesitated. "We should really take him to the hospital for observation."

Gibbs pulled the smiling baby out of her arms. "We'll stay here until the IV is finished," he said firmly. "And I'll make sure he gets checked out by a doctor when we get back to NCIS."

The woman nodded and began packing up her supplies.

Gibbs looked down at the little boy in his arms. Bald except for a bit of light brown fluff on top, Gavin was smaller than he remembered Kelly ever being. He made a silent promise to the baby that he would find out what had happened to Christina Flynn.

No matter what.

* * *

Tim staggered into NCIS, the weight of the little girl in his arms beginning to feel like a hundred pounds. Beth had not let go of him once on the way to Washington. She'd dozed on the plane but even then had a death grip on his collar. No one had made mention of getting her off of him at any point, and he was starting to get nervous that she was never going to let go.

He was starting to get desperate, for more than one reason.

"Boss," McGee said weakly as they exited the elevator. "I really have to go to the bathroom."

Gibbs glanced over his shoulder at him. "You don't need a hall pass."

"Boss," McGee pleaded. "What about her?" he gestured desperately to the little girl in his arms.

Gibbs had a slight smirk on his face. "Take her with you."

McGee's eyes widened at the thought, but nothing better came to mind, and he was starting to get desperate. Tony snickered as they passed him on their way to their desks.

Finally realizing no one was going to help him, and a bathroom was required pronto, McGee headed for the men's room.

The room was empty, since it was nearly four in the morning and most of the staff had gone home, but McGee checked under the stalls anyway, groaning as he stood upright again.

"Beth," he said plaintively, trying to loosen her grip. "I really have to go to the bathroom."

The little girl was silent, not that he'd expected anything in response. She had not spoken a single word since he'd found her hiding in the closet, and Tim wasn't sure that he blamed her, given what she had likely seen.

"Okay." He took a deep breath and tried to think things out. "I'm going to lock the door, okay Beth? Then no one can get in. It'll be just the two of us." He walked back to the door and clicked the deadlock into place.

Almost immediately, Beth's grip loosened, although she did not let go. She pulled back a tiny bit to look McGee in the face.

McGee turned her towards the counter, where there were three sinks below a big mirror. "Can I put you down on the counter while I pee? Just for a minute?"

Beth appeared to think things over, then nodded slowly.

Trying not to shout with glee, McGee walked over and set her down gingerly between two of the sinks. Beth allowed him to put her down, but didn't let go of his shirt collar.

McGee crouched down in front of her. "Just for a minute, I promise. Then I'll pick you right back up."

Slowly, Beth uncurled her fingers from his collar and let them drop into her lap. Her eyes filled with tears as McGee slowly backed away.

His heart feeling a little broken, he turned toward the urinals and reached for his pants button, but froze. He glanced over his shoulder at the teary eyed little girl staring at him. "Um, could you close your eyes?"

She sniffled, but closed her eyes obediently, and McGee got on with the business of emptying his bladder. When he was done and everything was zipped and buttoned, he walked back to the sinks.

"You can open your eyes back up," he told her as he washed his hands. Beth watched him intently as he turned off the faucet and dried his hands on a paper towel. When he was done, she silently held out her arms.

When McGee lifted her back up to his body, Beth curled against him like she belonged there, laying her head down on his shoulder and sticking her thumb in her mouth. Her other hand held onto his shirt, but not as tightly as before. He seemed to have gained a small amount of her trust.

Truthfully, McGee had no idea what he was doing. He liked kids, but he'd never spent much time around them when they were this small. He preferred to wait until they were big enough that he was completely sure he couldn't break them. Like the little boys in his scout troop. Old enough to tell him what is on their mind. Somehow when he'd thought about having kids of his own, he'd never thought much about the early years. He'd more imagined them old enough to go on camping trips and read comic books with. And he'd rarely thought of having girls (perhaps trauma from growing up with Sarah).

Gibbs, he looked so natural taking care of Gavin, even though it had to hurt. When Beth had peed her pants on the plane, McGee had been on the verge of panic. Gibbs had simply pulled a change of clothes out of the carry on bag he'd thrown together of the children's belongings and ordered McGee to help her change in the bathroom.

That had been another fiasco, cramming him and a three year old in an airplane bathroom which was barely big enough for one person, let alone two. He wasn't sure how he had managed it, only left with vague impressions of Beth standing in the sink. But somehow he had managed. By the time they returned to their seats he was desperately wondering when he could give her back to whoever was responsible for her now.

But for the rest of the night at least, the responsible party was him. McGee could practically hear Sarah laughing at him, if she could only see him now, struggling to hold one little girl in his arms and unlock and open the men's room door at the same time.

Beth flinched when he unlocked the door, but other than that showed no emotion as he left the room and headed back to the bullpen.

Gibbs was seated at his desk sipping coffee while Tony had already dozed off in his own chair. McGee approached the boss and noticed Gavin sleeping at his feet in the car seat they had brought with them from Christine Flynn's car.

Glancing up, Gibbs waved McGee away. "You two go down to the lab and try and catch some sleep on Abby's futon. We won't know any more until the morning anyway."

McGee considered protesting, but his arms were killing him from carting around the unaccustomed weight and his eyes were barely staying open. So he simply nodded and turned back towards the elevator and headed down to Abby's lab.

He turned on as few lights as possible as he walked through the lab. It was strange to be there without Abby, without the loud music or her overly caffeinated body bouncing around. The futon mattress was already spread out, Abby having likely slept there recently and not bothered to put it back.

Beth's eyes were wide as McGee tried to think if there was anything else he needed to do. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Bert, and impulsively grabbed the stuffed hippo from his spot on top of a filing cabinet.

McGee sat down on the mattress and shifted Beth onto one of his knees. He set the hippo down on the other. "This is Bert," he told her. "He belongs to my friend Abby."

Beth reached out one hand slowly and touched the top of the hippos head.

"Give him a hug," McGee urged. Hugging Bert always seemed to make Abby feel better, maybe it would work on Beth too.

She thought about it for a moment, then pulled the stuffed animal onto her lap and gave it a gentle hug, her eyes widening at the loud farting noise. She looked up at him, her green eyes radiating surprise.

McGee smiled. "Silly, isn't it?"

She nodded, but looked pleased. Bert was a success. Now what? McGee found himself asking the eternal question: What Would Gibbs Do?

So McGee stretched out on the mattress, settling Beth and Bert beside him. She nestled in the crook of his arm and buried her face in his chest. Beth seemed to just take it for granted that he was going to be there, that he would know how to take care of her.

That was amazing, and yet terrifying. He had no idea why she trusted him. He had just done what anyone else would have done in the situation, he'd found her. Heck, he hadn't even realized she was lost until Gibbs told him so.

A yawn escaped Beth's mouth as she stared at him. She seemed completely relaxed, but McGee had never felt so tense in his life. Despite that, he knew they both needed some sleep. The morning was going to be hard enough as it was without adding exhaustion to the list.

McGee watched until Beth's eyes drooped and finally closed before closing his own and, to his surprise, falling soundly asleep.


	2. Chapter Two

" _You're all that shines above  
Through the dark and mistrust"*_

*"The Middle Ground" by Vertical Horizon

Abby hummed in the elevator as she waited to reach the correct floor. Ziva had texted her on her drive to work. Apparently the team had left her behind in Vermont to make sure the evidence had been all bagged and tagged properly, catching a later flight back to Washington. Within the hour Abby would have all kinds of fresh evidence to analyze.

Abby really loved fresh evidence. Cracking the seal on the evidence jars and bags, deciding which piece looked most important, which tests she should get running because they took the longest, and best of all: Guessing when Gibbs would show up demanding answers and bearing her first Caf-Pow of the day.

She always had coffee at home before she left, but it was that first Caf-Pow that really got her brain working at full speed. She used to get one herself before work, but she's found that Caf-Pow tasted best when it was a reward.

Abby frowned when the elevator doors opened and she saw the lights on in her lab. She always turned all the lights out before she left. Double checking was mandatory as well.

The lab doors made their familiar whooshing sound as they opened and she stepped inside cautiously. She was about to turn around and go upstairs and demand to know who had been messing around in her lab when she saw a pair of familiar loafers laying on the floor just inside her office.

McGee, she thought to herself with relief. The team must have gotten back really late last night.

Abby tiptoed up to her office door with an evil glint in her eye before hopping suddenly into the room. She was about to shout "boo!" or something else to scare McGee out of his overly starched shorts when she realized McGee wasn't alone.

A little girl who looked no older than three was sitting cross legged on the futon mattress next to McGee, her arms wrapped protectively around Bert, who let out a gentle fart. The little girl scrambled closer to McGee, looking absolutely terrified.

Glancing down to make sure she wasn't wearing a shirt that might scare the little girl further, Abby crouched down a couple of feet away. "Hey, I'm Abby. What's your name?"

The little girl continued to cower beside McGee, letting go of Bert with one hand and wrapping her fingers around McGee's shirt, giving him a shake.

"Huh- what? I'm awake, Boss." McGee sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes as he began to remember where he was. "Oh, hey Abby."

Abby smiled. "Got a new girlfriend?" He had never looked so adorable than at that moment, half asleep next to one of the cutest little girls Abby had ever seen.

"Oh!" McGee turned to the little girl and pulled her into his lap. "Beth, this is Abby. She's Bert's… Mom," he finished weakly, giving Abby a shrug.

Beth buried her face into McGee's chest. She was so cute! Her strawberry blond curls were pointing in every direction and she had one hand gripping McGee's shirt like a lifeline.

"Hi, Beth," Abby said warmly. "I'm glad Bert and Timmy had someone to keep them company last night." Beth was still hanging onto Bert by one of his whiskers. She was glad she had left the hippo in the lab this week. He'd obviously made an impression.

"It's okay, Beth." McGee attempted to comfort her. "Abby's my friend. She's really nice, I promise."

Beth lifted her head and Abby continued smiling her brightest smile at the little girl. "I hope Timmy didn't keep you up too late last night, he snores really loud."

"I do not snore!" McGee protested, shifting Beth in his lap so he could sit up straighter.

Abby sat down beside them on the mattress and leaned closer to Beth. "Like a chainsaw," she whispered conspiratorially.

Beth gave her a shy smile.

"We should probably go upstairs and see what the Boss wants me to do next," McGee told Abby, but he didn't move. He looked so unsure of himself, sitting upright on her futon mattress, lap full of little girl.

"I have evidence coming." Abby bounced up effortlessly and offered McGee a hand. He had no idea what he was doing, but man it was fun to watch.

He accepted, and she gave him a tug, helping him up, his other arm filled with Beth and a stuffed hippo.

"She's adorable." Abby tweaked Beth's nose as McGee slipped his loafers back on.

"She has a baby brother upstairs," McGee said, smiling knowingly at Abby as he backed towards the elevator. Oooh, she really hated it sometimes how well he knew her.

"A baby?" Abby squealed, dashing after them and sliding into the elevator car. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"More fun this way," McGee admitted, smiling over Beth's head as the elevator lifted them towards the right floor.

As soon as the elevator doors were open Abby burst into the bullpen. "Okay, where's the baby?"

Palmer, who was on his way into the elevator, pointed at Gibbs' desk.

Abby skittered to a stop in front of the desk. Gibbs was sitting behind his desk casually, drinking coffee out of one hand and feeding the baby lying across his knees with the other. "Gibbs!" she squealed. "He's so cute!"

One side of Gibb's mouth lifted in amusement. "I didn't have anything to do with it, Abbs."

Abby ignored him. "Can I hold him? What's his name?" she asked.

"Go ahead. His name is Gavin."

Abby scooped up Gavin, who let out a cry of outrage when the bottle slipped out of his mouth during the transfer. "Sorry, Gavin," Abby said, adjusting him into the crook of one arm and fixing the bottle's position.

Gavin slurped loudly as soon as the bottle was replaced and Abby beamed down at him. His bright blue eyes watched her intently as she rocked him gently in her arms. As she watched, he gave her a gummy smile around the nipple. Wow, he was cute. A snuggly little thing too.

Abby lowered her voice. "What did you guys find in Vermont, Gibbs?"

"We're not sure." Gibbs glanced over at McGee's desk where he had settled a pair of headphones on Beth's ears. Maybe McGee wasn't so far out of his league as Abby had thought. He was smart enough to make sure they could talk without Beth hearing. "Given the amount of blood I don't think the person survived, but there wasn't a body."

"It's very likely Beth saw whatever happened," McGee added. "She hasn't said a word since we found her."

"Poor thing." Abby bit her lip as she looked over at the little girl. "No wonder she looked so scared when I showed up in the lab." Abby felt a wave of sympathy as she watched the little girl listen intently to whatever McGee had put on for her to listen to.

The elevator dinged and Ziva stepped out, looking exhausted. "All the evidence has been checked in," she told them.

"Good," Gibbs said. "Wake up Tony and I want the two of you to go pick up Lieutenant Flynn."

Ziva nodded and peered at Tony, who was still sleeping soundly in his chair, with an evil expression.

"You should Gibbs-slap him," Abby suggested, giving her a cheeky smile. "Or better yet, just get Gibbs to do it."

Ziva winked at her. "I don't know… does the hand in warm water trick work?"

"Yes it does and no I don't want to explain why I know that," McGee said in an annoyed tone. "Please just hit him."

"Preferably sometime today," Gibbs said pointedly.

Ziva shrugged. Leaning over his desk, she whacked him on the back of the head.

"Thank you Boss!" Tony shot out of the chair like a cannon and actually saluted.

Abby twirled around with the baby so Tony couldn't see her laughing, but her whole body was shaking so she doubted that she was fooling anyone.

"Get your badge," she heard Ziva order him and then the ding of the elevator doors as they left.

Abby looked down at Gavin, who was sucking down the last few sips of his bottle. She set the now empty bottle down on the corner of Gibb's desk and shifted him in her arms until his head was by her shoulder. She patted his back gently until he let out a burp so loud her entire face lit up with amazement. "I'm going to have to record that later," she said absently.

"Not until I get some results on the tests you were just about to run, right Abby?" Gibbs raised his eyebrows at her.

She gave him a sheepish smile. "Of course, Gibbs." She was definitely not the kind of person who saw something shiny and wandered off. Really.

Gibbs gave McGee a pointed look. "We're going to have to try and get her to talk." He nodded towards Beth, who had reclined in McGee's arms.

"I know, Boss." McGee sighed.

"What are you going to do with this bundle of cuteness?" Abby gestured to Gavin who was dosing on her shoulder.

Gibbs leaned back in his chair. "If you promise to keep working it would actually help if you kept him in the lab with you. Just keep him away from anything dangerous."

Abby grinned and let out a little squeal. "I'll keep working, I promise." Her pigtails bouncing, she looked almost as much a little girl as Beth.

* * *

McGee carried Beth into one of the conference rooms. Sitting down in one of the chairs, he set her down on the table in front of him.

Beth was still hanging onto Bert by one of his legs. She blinked a few times and looked at McGee expectantly.

He sighed, feeling intensely awkward. Beth looked at him like he was supposed to have all the answers, when in reality all he had was questions. She was the only link they had so far as to what had happened in that trailer. And she was only three years old. Even if she had seen it all he wasn't sure she could give them the answers they needed.

Beth jumped when the door opened again and Gibbs came in. she watched carefully until he locked the door, then relaxed and turned back to McGee.

Gibbs sat down in the chair next to McGee, setting down a small No-Kaf-Pow, a bag of chips and a twinkie. "Breakfast of champions, vending machine style."

McGee smiled and watched Beth's reaction. "Go ahead," he urged her. When her eyes lingered on the drink he picked it up and handed it to her.

Letting Bert rest on the table beside her, Beth sipped at the drink and watched the two men curiously, her legs swinging gently off the table.

Gibbs waited until she had eaten a few bites of the Twinkie along with a few sips of her drink before he spoke up. "I know yesterday must have been scary, huh Beth?"

She hesitated, then nodded.

"But you made a couple new friends." Gibbs watched her reach down and touch Bert with one hand, checking that he was still there. "McGee's been taking good care of you."

McGee tried to smile reassuringly at her, but he had a feeling he wasn't fooling her. Gibbs was the one taking good care of her, he was just carrying her around like a pack mule. He hadn't even thought of the fact that she must be hungry, and he felt like a moron for it.

Gibbs leaned a little closer to Beth. "I need to ask you a couple questions, okay?"

* * *

Beth bit her lip and stared at the gray haired man for several seconds. He seemed nice. He'd bought her a Happy Meal the night before and he let her sit on McGee's lap on the plane.

He hadn't yelled at her, not even when she wet her pants on the plane. She'd been too scared to tell anyone she had to go to the bathroom and her mom didn't put her in pull-ups anymore except for bedtime.

No, he hadn't yelled. Her daddy would have yelled. He got mad when she had accidents and he had to clean them up. But the gray haired man had just gotten out her pajamas from a bag and told McGee to help her get dressed.

McGee made her feel safe. He was the one who had rescued her after the bad men came. He held her and told her she was going to be okay. And when she was with him, she didn't feel so scared.

The grey haired man was still waiting for her to answer him, and she nodded. McGee was right there, so she didn't have to feel scared.

"Did you see what happened to your Mommy?"

She nodded. She had been taking a nap, but she'd peeked out of the door and seen the bad men come in.

"Did someone hurt her?"

She nodded.

"Was it a man?"

Beth nodded and slowly held up two fingers.

"Two men?"

Another nod.

"Good girl, you're doing great." The grey haired man opened the bag of chips for her. "Have you ever seen the men before?"

She shook her head. Her mommy must have known them, because she answered the door and she knew strangers were bad. Mommy had told her so.

"Do you remember what they were wearing?"

Another shake. All she remembered was Mommy. And lots of red stuff.

"Did you hear them say anything?"

Beth froze. Suddenly she didn't want to talk anymore. She dropped her drink on the floor and slid off the table onto McGee's lap, hugging him tightly.

McGee would keep her safe.

* * *

Gibbs sighed and leaned back in his chair. Question time was over, it was obvious Beth wasn't going to listen to him anymore.

She was clinging to McGee and wouldn't look at him anymore. McGee looked a little panicked, an expression that had been on his face almost permanently since finding the little girl.

McGee was way out of his comfort zone here, but Beth didn't care. Apparently he was the one she felt most comfortable with, and Gibbs wasn't going to fight her. Whatever she had seen or heard had her spooked big time.

He sighed. "Why don't you take Beth downstairs and see if Abby needs any help?" he finally suggested. Kids usually liked Abby. Maybe she could make Beth feel more comfortable. Or at least make McGee feel more comfortable.

"Okay, Boss," McGee agreed readily, leaving the room fairly fast. Apparently the prospect of staying in the room silently with his boss terrified him more than a three year old girl.

Gibbs was frustrated, and angry. This case had more questions now than it had the day before. They had no leads, and unless Tony and Ziva returned with Lieutenant Flynn they had no one to question.

Which meant, as much as he hated to do it, he was going to have to call in social services now.

* * *

"This little piggy played with the mass spectrometer, this little piggy analyzed a blood stain, this little piggy found some DNA, this little piggy found none. And this little piggy-" Abby looked up as McGee entered the lab. "Hey McGee." She had Gavin's car seat sitting on the table next to her computer and she was playing with his toes while he smiled.

McGee gave her a half smile, unable to muster up the energy for a full one. It had become pretty obvious in the conference room that Beth had seen or heard something that scared her, which was probably why she wouldn't talk to anyone. And the way she had been clinging to him… he felt so unprepared. He'd told her that he'd take care of her, but could he really promise that? He didn't know what was going to happen with the case, with her.

"McGee?" Abby was waving a hand in front of his face. "You're getting that panicked look you get when you think Gibbs is mad at you."

McGee swallowed. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize; it's a sign of weakness." Abby grinned at him. "If you brought me a Caf-Pow I might forgive you."

McGee had a feeling that panicked look was running across his face again. "I can get you one?" he suggested tentatively.

"That's my boy." Abby walked around his side to peer at Beth. "Hey, wait a minute! I see very red lips here… she had a Caf-Pow? Whose bright idea was that? She's only three, her head might implode."

"It was a No Caf-Pow," McGee assured her. "Now stop, you're gonna scare her."

"You're not scared, are you Beth?" Abby brushed back the little girl's hair. "She knows I'm just teasing."

"Yeah, well, be careful." The last thing McGee wanted was to traumatize Beth any further. "I'm supposed to see if you need any help."

"With only one arm?" Abby winked at him. "Well, since Gavin obviously has no intention of sleeping right now I thought I'd see if he wouldn't mind letting me swab a little DNA, right Gavin?" she cooed the last two words and the baby beamed again.

"What for?" McGee wrinkled his forehead, trying to think why she would need Gavin's DNA.

Abby looked over at Beth before she spoke. "To um, see if the B-L-O-O-D we found on the carpet belongs to their M-O-M-M-Y."

"Oh." McGee pursed his lips. "Right."

He realized he wasn't going to be any help unless he could put Beth down, so he looked around for something to entertain her. "Hey Abby, do you have your iPad here?"

"Yeah, it's in my office, on my desk," Abby said over one shoulder as she unwrapped a new swab. "Show her the ant game, she'll love it."

"Okay." McGee carried Beth into Abby's office and set her down gently in Abby's desk chair. Crouching down in front of the chair, he squeezed Beth's hands carefully. "Do you think you can sit by yourself for a little while?"

Beth glanced nervously around her.

McGee pointed. "You see Abby over there?"

She peered around his body and nodded.

"That's where I'm going to be. Right over there, where you can see me, helping Abby. And Abby says you can play with her iPad, have you ever played with one of these?"

He reached onto the desk and picked up the iPad to show her. She shook her head.

McGee showed Beth how to bring up a drawing app and then a particularly disgusting game where you squashed ants with your fingers. He found it kind of repulsive, but Beth smiled at the sound effects and anything that made her smile was okay with him.

But Beth's smile disappeared as soon as she realized McGee planned to leave her in the office to play by herself. She let go of Bert and clung to his shirt.

"Hey, it's okay," McGee reassured her. "Remember, I'm going to be right over there with Abby. You'll be able to see me the whole time, I promise."

Beth bit her lip and her eyebrows worried themselves together.

McGee picked up Bert from where he had fallen to the floor and settled him securely in the chair beside her. "I'm not leaving. I just need to help Abby."

Beth's eyes darted over his shoulder at Abby and with a sigh, slowly released her grip on his shirt. She didn't look thrilled, but she at least didn't look like she was going to have a meltdown.

"I can go work with Abby?" McGee asked, just to be sure. It occurred to him at that moment that he was asking a three year old for permission to work, which seemed a little silly in retrospect.

Beth nodded, resigned to him working in the other room.

"If you need anything you just have to ask," McGee told her. Remembering that she wasn't exactly chatting up a storm, he amended, "you can come get me."

Beth nodded again and watched him as he slowly stood up and walked out of Abby's office and back into the lab.

Abby had already swabbed Gavin's cheek and was putting the swab into an evidence jar. "She okay?"

"I have no idea." McGee watched as Beth looked down at the tablet in her lap and began touching the screen tentatively. "How do you know if a kid is okay? But this is the furthest she's let me go since I found her. I couldn't even pee alone."

Abby giggled. "How did you manage that?"

"Long story." McGee sighed.

"I'm going to want to hear it later."

"I know."

Abby looked down at Gavin, her face growing serious. "Did she see what happened?" she asked softly.

"I think so." A muscle in McGee's jaw twitched. "I found her hiding in the back of the closet. She at the very least heard something."

"Poor kid." Abby stroked Gavin's head absently. "Do you think Tony and Ziva found Lieutenant Flynn yet?"

"I don't know." McGee sighed. "I hope so. I really hope so." McGee might not know much about little girls, but he knew one thing.

The only thing worse than losing a mother was losing both your parents.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter: Tony and Ziva investigate... and social services shows up. Dun dun dun!
> 
> Reviews make me happier than you can know... so let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

" _Tell me your secrets, and ask me your questions  
Oh let's go back to the start"*_

*"The Scientist" by Coldplay

Ziva slid back into the car and turned to her partner. Tony had been acting strange ever since they had left NCIS headquarters. He hadn't made any snide comments when she asked to drive, he hadn't made any rude noises and when they paused at a crosswalk for a pedestrian he hadn't undressed the attractive woman with his eyes.

She was beginning to get worried.

"Well?" Tony tapped his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently.

"Lieutenant Flynn's boss said he did not come in to work this morning, nor did he call." That man had not been happy either. Ziva was not so sure that there would still be a job waiting for them when he came back.

"Great." Tony started the engine of his car. "He verify the home address on employment records?"

"Yes. It was the same as the one McGee gave us." Ziva buckled up her seat belt and was quiet for a few minutes as Tony began driving. "You seem very quiet today," she remarked.

"Maybe I don't have anything to say."

Ziva frowned. "Now I know there is something wrong. You always have something to say, quite often when I wish you would not."

"Nothing is wrong." Tony sighed. "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night, okay?"

"Neither did I and I am not acting like I have a branch up my butt."

"Stick," Tony muttered. "Look, I'm just not feeling that great today. I think one of Lieutenant Flynn's kids gave me a bug or something."

Ziva tilted her head. "Tony, it has been less than twenty-four hours and you have barely been near them. I can not believe you could have contracted anything from those children."

"Don't be so sure." Tony glanced over at her. "Small children are like little carrier monkeys of disease."

Ziva decided not to even ask. Obviously Tony was in a foul mood today and it was not worth trying to get in his head. She knew him well enough by now to know when she didn't have a chance in hell of prying whatever was on his mind out. She might was well save her energy.

Instead, Ziva pondered over the case until they were nearly to Lieutenant Flynn's house. "It's strange how that little girl has attached herself to McGee," Ziva commented.

"Yeah." Tony had to agree. "She imprinted on him like a baby bird."

Ziva blinked at him. "I do not understand what a baby bird has to do with anything."

"You know, when birds hatch they immediately attach to the first person they see because they think it's their mother?" Tony tried to explain.

"You think Beth thinks McGee is her mother?" Ziva frowned. "I am confused."

"Well, not specifically." Tony turned onto the street where Beth and Gavin's parents had lived together for several years before their divorce. "I just meant that she seems to have bonded to him."

"That's what I said." Sometimes it seemed as if no matter what she said, Tony felt the need to re-state it in a different way.

Tony sighed and pulled the car across from their destination. "I give up. Let's go see if anyone's at home." They both climbed out of the car.

They walked up to the lieutenant's house and Ziva rang the doorbell while Tony tried to peek in one of the front windows. "I don't think he's here," Tony said finally, stepping back from the window.

"Gibbs will not be pleased," Ziva remarked, more to herself than for his sake.

"Shocking," Tony muttered under his breath.

Ziva's eyes narrowed. He really was in a foul mood. With a sigh, she checked the front door and let out a dramatic sigh.

"I guess we'd better go back." Tony turned away.

"Wait." Ziva tilted her head as Tony turned back to look at her. "I think I hear someone calling for help."

Tony frowned at her and she resisted the urge to snicker. "I don't hear anything, Ziva."

Ziva picked up a small metal sculpture of a bird, which was both heavy and hideous. Without missing a beat, she used the bird to shatter one of the small panes of glass in the door, reach inside, and unlock it.

Tony blinked at her.

Ziva shrugged. "I saw it on Law and Order last week. It looked fun."

"Wait, you were watching TV?" Tony stared at her.

"I had finished my book." She pushed the door open and stepped inside, glass crunching underneath her boots. The house was neater than she would have expected for a man living alone with two children. She wondered absently if he had a cleaner come in as Tony regained his composure and followed her inside.

"Hello?" Ziva called absently, although she did not believe anyone would answer back.

"You know Gibbs is going to blame me for this, right?" Tony complained as she flipped through the mail someone had left on a side table.

"Why would Gibbs blame you if I broke a window?" Ziva really could not follow that man's logic.

"Doesn't matter." Tony walked through the living room and peered at Lieutenant Flynn's movie collection. He made a face, obviously not approving of the contents. "Gibbs will see a broken window and blame Tony."

"Well then, we'd better find something to distract him." Ziva walked past him into the kitchen, which looked much more lived in than the previous rooms. Dishes were piled in the sink and something foul smelling had congealed in a sauce pan on the stove. Ziva stepped closer and wrinkled her nose. In a previous life, perhaps, there had been macaroni and cheese. Now, it was grayish yellow with a distinct layer of green fuzz on top.

She paused in front of the refrigerator. There were several plastic frames stuck haphazardly on the front. Pictures of the Lieutenant and what she assumed was Beth (because of the pink hat) as a baby, Gavin and Beth together on the front lawn, other people holding Gavin that she didn't recognize.

"Hey Ziva!" Tony called from the next room. She followed the sound of his voice through the living room and into what looked like a study. Tony was sitting in the desk chair and staring at something in a drawer.

"Did you find something?" She came up behind him and peered down.

"Yeah. I would say so." Tony used the corner of his jacket to slide the photo he'd found out of the drawer and onto the desk.

Both stared at it. "Gibbs is going to want to see this," Ziva said finally.

* * *

Gibbs stared at the photograph displayed on the plasma. The quality was fairly good, despite the fact that it appeared to have been shot long range through some kind of bush. The couple was gazing up at each other and embracing, and despite the word "BITCH" scrawled in red marker across the photograph you could still tell who the woman was.

Christine Flynn, Lieutenant Flynn's wife. And the man was definitely not Lieutenant Flynn.

He sighed, turning around to find Tony and Ziva close behind him, waiting for instructions. "Tony, start checking the Lieutenant's financials. Ziva, get a BOLO out on his vehicle."

Gibbs grabbed the Styrofoam cup that was still half full of coffee and brought it with him as he headed to go grab a Caf-Pow. Hopefully Abby had gotten some work done while she played with the baby.

* * *

"Gibbs!" Abby exclaimed, jumping up and running over to him. "You have no idea how much I need this," she told him, grabbing the Caf-Pow and taking a big sip.

"I hope that means you've got something for me, Abbs." Gibbs and Abby both frowned when there was a crash from inside her office.

McGee jumped up from the chair he'd been sitting in at the computer. "Beth?" Gibbs watched as he practically ran into Abby's office.

"You must have startled her," Abby said softly as McGee crouched down beside her desk. Apparently Beth had ducked underneath it, because the desk chair was turned over on its side and McGee was peering into the crawlspace.

Gibbs watched as McGee spent several minutes talking Beth out from underneath Abby's desk. It took him a little while, but eventually the little girl crawled out and into his arms.

Gibbs was impressed. He'd seen how uncomfortable McGee had seemed the night before. Comfortable with scouts, McGee seemed to be terrified of little girls. But he'd really stepped up to the plate and appeared to be dealing better now.

McGee righted the desk chair and sat down in it, rubbing Beth's back gently. Gibbs swallowed as she stuck her thumb in her mouth and turned to Abby.

"You have something?"

Abby had been watching McGee as well with a soft look on her face. She shook her head slightly. "Yeah." She turned back to her computers. "Um, I swabbed Gavin's cheek before he fell asleep and compared his DNA to the blood we found at the scene."

"And?"

"The blood from the trailer belongs to his mother. And with that much blood…" Abby voice trailed off.

"Yeah, I know." Gibbs followed Abby's gaze to Gavin's car seat on the floor off to her left. The baby was sleeping soundly, and having a good dream apparently because he was smiling in his sleep. The little guy always seemed to be smiling. Gibbs hoped however this case worked out wouldn't change that.

Abby was watching McGee again. "Gibbs-"

Before he could answer her, his cell phone rang. He flicked the phone open. "Gibbs."

He listened for a moment, knowing almost instantaneously what the other person was going to say. "I'll be up in five minutes."

Abby watched him carefully as he closed the phone. She looked concerned. "Who was it?" she asked.

"Tony." Gibbs sighed as he looked over at McGee. "The woman from social services is here."

"Social services?" Abby squeaked. She looked horrified.

"I had to call them."

Abby bit her lip. After a moments silence she stalked over to Gavin's car seat and scooped the baby up into her arms, clutching him to her chest as if someone was going to physically harm him.

"Tell me Ziva and Tony found their father."

Gibbs stayed silent. He should be used to giving bad news to people, but Abby just looked so wounded that he felt a flicker of guilt go through him.

Abby finally broke free from his gaze and looked into her office. Gibbs waited for her to turn back to him, already knowing what she would see and how it would affect her.

"I have to go upstairs, Abbs."

"I know." Abby kissed the baby's head. "I'm coming with you." Her tone and the expression in her green eyes dared him to object.

Gibbs kept her gaze. "McGee!"

"Yeah boss?"

"Abby's coming upstairs with me." Gibbs gave her an almost smile. "Keep Beth down here."

* * *

Amy Fowler seemed to laugh in the face of the stereotypical stuffed shirt social worker Gibbs had always dealt with in the past. Instead, she seemed to look like some kind of crazy bag lady who had caught her finger in a light socket. Her frizzy brown hair was struggling to break free from the plastic clip that had been jammed in the bird's nest.

Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and Abby watched in stunned silence as she struggled to pull the strap of her brown messenger bag over her head. It snagged on the collar of the brown and red plaid raincoat she was wearing over a white ruffled blouse and paisley gypsy skirt.

Ziva leaned over to Tony. "Help her," she whispered furiously.

"Why me?" Tony whispered back.

"Because getting women undressed is your specialty!"

Tony frowned. "I don't think I want her to get undressed."

Rolling her eyes, Ziva gave him a shove forward.

"Um, let me help you with that," Tony said as he stumbled forward, untangling the bag strap from Ms. Fowler's atrocious plaid raincoat.

"Thank you," she said politely, resting the bag on the top of Gibb's desk, sending a pile of papers flying onto the floor. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, crouching down to scoop them up and then dumping them back onto his desk.

Gibbs raised his eyebrows while Abby shot death glares at the woman.

Ms. Fowler straightened her blouse and pulled a file folder out from her bag. "Agent Gibbs, you called about two minors that are currently under your custody?"

"I did." He crossed his arms and watched her shuffle through the file folder.

She squinted at the papers and then reached under her raincoat to pull out a pair of glasses that were hanging around her neck on a gold chain.

Tony snorted then grunted when Ziva elbowed him in the ribs.

Ms Fowler frowned and looked up. "I'm to understand both of the children's parents are currently missing?"

"Yes." Gibbs cleared his throat. "We were unable to find any relatives currently in the country."

"Yes, their file says a grandmother is somewhere in Africa for the next few weeks." Ms. Fowler closed the folder. "It also says here that the older child has formed some sort of attachment to one of your agents?"

"Her name is Beth." Abby's pigtails swayed as she rocked Gavin back and forth in her arms.

"Of course, Beth." Ms. Fowler did not seem surprised at the animosity. "It's not unusual for a traumatized child to latch onto a person she perceives as safe. She'll do better once we get her into a stable environment."

"I really don't think the best thing for that little girl is to separate her from the only person she trusts right now." Gibbs frowned at the woman.

"I can't say I disagree completely." Ms. Fowler shrugged. "But she can't live here at NCIS headquarters, Agent Gibbs. I have a legal and moral obligation to both those children to get them in a home. Immediately. This is out of your hands. Unless someone on your team is a certified-" She peered over his shoulder and frowned.

Gibbs turned to see Abby standing patiently in her lab coat with Gavin tucked against one shoulder and her other arm in the air. "Yeah, Abbs?"

Abby put her arm down. "I'm a legal foster parent."

"What?" Tony's mouth gaped. "Why?" He managed to escape another jab to the ribs from Ziva with a well timed flinch.

"There's a woman in my church who takes in crack babies. She said there was a shortage of qualified foster parents in the area so I took the classes." Abby gave a half smile. "I passed, but I don't think the social worker liked me very much, because she never called."

Ms. Fowler had her pen and notepad out. "How long has it been since you were certified?"

"Um," Abby glanced down. "Less than six months?"

"Your full name?"

"Abigail Scuito."

"And you're willing to take temporary legal custody of Gavin and Elisabeth Flynn, Ms. Scuito?"

Abby nodded. "Yeah, of course." She looked down at Gavin's sleeping body. "Absolutely."

Ms. Fowler was already pulling out her cell phone. "Providing the information you've given me is correct and your qualifications are up to date I wouldn't have a problem signing over temporary emergency custody of the two minors to Ms. Scuito. After that it's up to her who she allows into her home to spend time with the children." Ms. Fowler looked over at Gibbs pointedly. "I take it that would be a satisfactory arrangement with you, Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs felt one side of his mouth quirking upward. "Yeah, that works."

Ms. Fowler was already dialing.

* * *

McGee stared at Abby as she bounced into the room, waving a stack of papers. "You did what?"

"I got the social worker to let me take Gavin and Beth home with us," Abby explained slowly, looking at him as if he was an idiot.

McGee was trying not to feel dumb here, but he was really flummoxed by what she was saying. "I'm still not sure I understand."

"I couldn't let them just go anywhere!" Abby flung her hands up in the air. "So I told the social worker about the foster parent classes I took last year and she said she could place them with me until we find their parents or until they get a permanent placement."

McGee blinked at her.

Abby rolled her eyes. "Gavin and Beth are coming home with me for the weekend and I thought Beth would be happier if you were there."

Beth was sitting on the desk in front of McGee, watching Abby closely with a guarded expression on her face. Abby felt the mild annoyance she had been feeling at McGee's cluelessness melt. She walked over to the desk and perched on the corner next to Beth. "What do you think, Beth? Would you like to stay at my apartment for a little while?"

Beth twisted Bert's whiskers in between her fingers. She maintained eye contact with Abby, not flinching.

Abby felt a little flutter in her stomach as she stared at the little girl. Gavin already had one little hand wrapped around her heart and she felt Beth tugging at it as well. "Maybe if you ask McGee he'll come too."

Beth's eyes darted to McGee, who still looked a little befuddled.

Abby smiled and gently tugged one of Beth's curls. "C'mon, McGee, we'll have a slumber party."

"Uh." McGee cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, I guess I could stay over tonight."

Beth's eyes lit up with excitement and Abby beamed at her. Oh yeah, she was definitely losing her heart to that little girl.

"I'm really confused," McGee admitted, giving Abby a look that never failed to make her stomach do a little flip flop.

Ignoring her stomach, Abby grinned. "I know, McGee, I know. Do you have an overnight bag here or do we need to stop at your apartment first?"

"I have a bag upstairs."

"Great." Abby hopped off the desk, pigtails swinging. She held out her arms to Beth. "Ready to go, cutie pie?"

Beth glanced at McGee. At his nod, she held her arms out and allowed Abby to swing her up into her arms, squashing Bert in between them with a loud fart.


	4. Chapter 4

_And I'm looking in both directions  
But it's make believe, it's all pretend*_

*"Shed Some Light" by Shinedown

The next thing he knew, McGee found himself obediently trailing behind Abby carrying a sleeping Gavin in his car seat in one hand and a booster seat for Beth in the other. Abby had his backpack slung over one shoulder and was holding Beth's hand, skipping to her parking space.

"Abby?" McGee paused as they reached their destination, frowning in confusion. "Why are you driving my sister's car?"

Abby dropped his backpack by the trunk. "Oh, Sarah wanted me to check out a funny noise she kept hearing so we switched cars for the week." She pulled the keys out of her purse and unlocked the doors.

"Wait, what?" McGee set down Gavin and the booster seat next to the backseat door Abby was holding open. "Why didn't she call me?"

"Because if she'd called you, she would have had to clean it first." Abby grabbed the booster seat and put it into the car. "Besides, we were checking out a new club last weekend anyway so it was easier for me to do it."

McGee crossed his arms.

"Don't look at me like that," Abby complained without turning around. "She's over 21 now, she can go clubbing if she wants to." Abby lifted Beth into the booster seat and buckled the seat belt around her.

McGee followed Abby as she picked up Gavin and carried the baby seat around to the other back door. "I just didn't realize you guys hung out."

Abby shoved a clump of what looked like clothes and fast food wrappers off the seat and onto the floor. "Well, we do hang out. We hang out all the time. Don't you two talk?"

"We talk." McGee was frowning. He was almost completely positive that he did not like the idea of Abby and Sarah being friends. No, scratch that, he KNEW he didn't like the idea of them being friends. Way too much potential for the sharing of stories he would rather neither of them knew.

He watched Abby easily install the car seat, wondering absently where she had learned how to do that. From Luca maybe, when her niece was little?

"Hey, did you figure out what the funny noise was?" McGee asked, getting back on topic.

Abby uncurled from the backseat and grinned. "I found a stray can of spaghetti-o's rattling around in her trunk."

"How could she not notice that?" he complained as she closed the door and walked around to the driver's side. He just could not understand his sister most of the time.

"I'll let you peek in the trunk later and that will answer your question." Abby opened the door and tapped her fingers impatiently on the roof of the car. "C'mon McGee, grab your bag and get into the car."

McGee tried not to groan as he climbed into the passenger seat, loose change, trash and empty Starbucks cups crunching under his feet. He put his backpack on his knees, not wanting it to touch whatever was on the floor. Apparently he hadn't bought his sister a car, he'd bought her a trash can on wheels.

Abby checked her mirrors. "All right, let's roll. First stop, Wal-Mart."

McGee groaned. "I hate Wal-Mart."

"Me too," Abby agreed, pulling out of the parking lot. "But it's the only way to pick up stuff for the kids without making a zillion stops."

"How much do they need?" McGee asked, peering at the kids in the backseat. "I thought Gibbs grabbed some of their stuff from the trailer."

"You have no idea." Abby laughed. "Babies need tons of stuff, McGee. The diapers Gibbs grabbed barely lasted through today. Plus, I'm pretty sure the only thing I have left in my fridge is leftover Chinese food from like a month ago."

McGee wrinkled his nose. "Okay, we need food."

"Plus some clothes." Abby was fiddling with the radio and McGee felt a small twitch forming in his left eye. "All I have at my apartment is a secondhand portable crib I got from Luca when he heard I'd signed up to be a foster parent."

"I still can't believe you never told me about that."

"I did so tell you about it." Abby shook her head.

"When?"

"When I took the classes." She rolled her eyes.

McGee searched his brain, but couldn't remember anything she had told him that involved taking foster care classes. "Was I on the computer when you told me?"

Abby shrugged. "Probably."

"There's your problem." McGee laughed a little. "Sarah says my hearing powers down when I'm concentrating on something computer related."

"It's a miracle you ever hear anything," Abby remarked with a smile.

"You're probably right." McGee leaned back and tried to relax as Abby drove to the store. She was always a good driver, but today was hovering five to ten miles under the speed limit which McGee could only assume was because of the two children in the back seat.

Abby really was an amazing person. She donated blood as often as they would let her, she'd donated bone marrow more than once, she'd even tried to donate a kidney a few months back. Then there was the Habitat for Humanity projects she continued dragging him on even after he'd nearly sliced off a finger on one occasion and hammered her toe on another.

And now foster care? He'd never known anyone who did anything like that, but he'd worked enough cases over the years to know that the kids who wound up in foster care usually had serious issues, or had experienced truly terrible things in their lives. It took a special kind of person to sign on for something like that.

Abby certainly was a special person. He'd never met anyone like her before, not just because of the tats and the crazy music and the over-caffeination, but because of what a truly kind hearted person she was. Abby hated cruelty of any kind, whether it be beating a child or kicking a kitten, she just never wanted to see anyone hurting.

McGee smiled a little as she turned on the radio, to one of her crazy bands he could barely stand. She was even considerate of the tiny ears in the backseat of the car and kept the volume low.

And of course, there was Jethro. That McGee would file under "So Soft-Hearted You Might Kill Her". Ducky had cornered him in the parking garage the day after Abby talked him into taking Jethro home, to remind him that just because Abby wanted him to, didn't mean he actually had to keep the dog.

McGee had laughed. Everyone seemed to think Abby had some kind of voodoo spell over him, that she was controlling him like a puppet. When the truth was, he just couldn't bear to say no to her. Not when she looked up at him with those big puppy dog eyes.

Speaking of puppy dog eyes, McGee realized that he had completely forgotten about Jethro when he'd agreed to stay with Abby. He briefly considered asking Abby to swing by his apartment, even if it was in the opposite direction, but dismissed the idea just as quickly, figuring that the big dog might frighten Beth.

He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Ziva's number. Abby raised her eyebrows at him, but didn't ask.

"David." Ziva's typical reply came over the line.

"Hey, Ziva. It's McGee. Could you do me a favor?" When she replied in the affirmative, McGee continued. "Could you swing by my apartment and let Jethro out?"

He laughed at the horrified expression that came over Abby's face as he said the dog's name. "Yeah, just let him do his business and make sure he has food and water. I really appreciate it. You still have the key from the last time I asked, right? Okay, great. Thanks again, Ziva."

Abby let out a squeal as he hung up the phone. "Jethro! I can't believe I forgot Jethro!"

McGee smiled a little. "You're not the only one, Abby."

"I know, but he's my Jethro!" Abby slapped the steering wheel. "I'm such a bad Abby."

"You're not a bad Abby." McGee glanced back at Beth who was looking at them like they were crazy. "Don't freak out, you'll scare Beth."

"Oh, Beth!" Abby took a quick glance back at the little girl. Long enough to see her, not long enough for McGee to shriek at her to keep her eyes on the road. "Jethro is McGee's dog! He's the cutest thing in the world, you'll love him."

Beth was hanging onto Abby's every word and McGee smiled as she turned into the parking lot of their destination. Of course then she drove up and down every aisle before finally picking a parking spot… which of course was the first spot she had seen and rejected.

At Abby's command, McGee again carried a sleeping Gavin in his car seat, which seemed to weigh twice as much as the actual baby. Abby held Beth's hand and grabbed them a shopping cart first thing. She showed McGee how to put the car seat in the front section and he realized why she'd made him bring the car seat.

"First things first. To the baby section," Abby declared, charging full speed ahead, leaving McGee and Beth behind to follow.

"Uh, Abby?"

She turned to McGee who was pointing down at Beth. Abby crouched down in front of the little girl who had tears swimming in her eyes as she held onto McGee's hand. It was easy to see the problem, she had wet her pants.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. We should have asked if you had to use the bathroom." Abby rubbed Beth's shoulder and gave her a small smile. Then, without missing a beat, she stood back up and commandeered the cart. "C'mon, McGee."

He followed her a few aisles down until they had reached the diaper aisle. Abby grabbed a box of Pull-Ups off the shelf, tore the package open and pulled one out. Tossing the rest of the package into the cart, she held her hand out to Beth. "How about you and I get cleaned up in the bathroom?"

To McGee's surprise, Beth let go of his hand and took Abby's. Abby smiled at McGee. "You stay here with Gavin until we get back."

"Okay," McGee murmured, watching her walk off with Beth. A gurgle had him looking down at Gavin, who had woken up and was eyeing him with a serious expression across his face.

"Uh Oh," McGee muttered. That was an expression he had not seen before on Gavin's face, but he had a suspicion it was a bad one.

He was right.

* * *

When Abby walked back from the bathrooms carrying Beth on one hip she could hear the crying from four aisles over. She exchanged glances with the little girl, who was only wearing her t-shirt and the Pull-Up. "Why do I have a bad feeling that's your brother?" she asked.

It was.

Abby stopped at the entrance to the aisle and stifled a giggle. McGee was walking the cart back and forth with a petrified expression on his face, murmuring things like "please stop crying" and "Abby's coming back. Abby's coming back."

Beth touched Abby's cheek and pointed. "I know, I know." Abby gave the little girl a kiss on the cheek. "It's mean to let him suffer." She walked over to the cart and stopped McGee from his pacing with a hand on his shoulder.

"Abby!" he exclaimed, looking relieved. "He won't stop crying."

"So I can see." Abby patted the baby on the head, then turned back to McGee. "Give me your jacket."

"Huh?"

Abby simply waited, arm outstretched. McGee sighed and pulled off his sport coat and handed it to her. She spread it out in the back of the cart and lifted Beth inside. Now that Beth was settled, she took two steps and unsnapped Gavin from the car seat. Pulling him up against her shoulder, she patted his back and murmured until his cries turned into soft hiccups.

"You could have picked him up," she told McGee pointedly, walking off.

McGee grabbed the cart and hurried after her. "I tried. I couldn't get him unsnapped out of that thing."

Abby hid her smile behind Gavin's head. "He's probably hungry. I put the empty bottle in my bag, dig it out for me." She handed him her messenger bag.

While McGee awkwardly wielded the cart and dug around in her purse, Abby scanned the shelves of baby formula until she found the cans of pre-mixed formula. She pulled out one of the cans from a package, put the rest of the package in the cart by Beth and handed it to McGee. "Here, pour this into the bottle when you find it."

She grabbed a few cans of the formula Duckie had recommended, the iron fortified kind, and handed those to Beth who set them down in the cart for her. She watched McGee struggle a little with the bottle, but he got the job done. He handed the now filled bottle back to her and she shifted Gavin in her arms.

"Here ya go, buddy," she murmured, as Gavin sucked furiously on the bottle. "We won't make you wait so long next time, okay?"

When she looked up, McGee was staring at her with a strange look on his face. "What?"

"You're really good with him." McGee gave her a half smile.

Abby shrugged. "He's a good baby." Feeling the beginnings of a blush building in her cheeks, she turned away. "We should get the rest of our shopping done before we need to attend to Gavin's other end."

McGee looked confused for a moment, then his eyes widened as what she had said clicked in his brain.

The rest of the shopping trip passed fairly quickly, although McGee stared in horror at the pile building up in the cart.

"Kids need a lot of stuff," Abby told him, shrugging.

"Can you afford this?" he asked, looking concerned.

Abby shrugged. "I'll just skip a couple concerts. It's not a big deal." She really wasn't being a spendthrift, Beth and Gavin needed everything in the cart. Baby shampoo, a couple simple outfits each, extra bottles and formula, diapers, 2 baby blankets for Gavin, kid-friendly food and a couple of small toys. "Trust me, McGee. I could have bought a LOT more."

He tried to pay, but Abby refused to take his Gold Card, reassuring him that if she had the kids for more than a couple of days she'd let him buy the groceries next time. Normally she would have let him pay, she'd never understood girls who refused to let guys buy them stuff, but she was the foster parent. It felt good to be the one buying things for Gavin and Beth.

Really good.

* * *

When Abby pulled the car into her usual parking space Gavin, Beth, and McGee had all dozed off. She pulled out her cell phone and snapped a quick picture of McGee slumped against the car seat, snoring softly through his mouth. It would be fun to tease him with later.

She poked him in the arm. "Hey, McGee. Wake up."

He closed his mouth and grunted.

"You have to help me carry in the stuff." She gave him a less gentle shove to the shoulder.

"Huh, what?" McGee blinked. "Oh man, did I fall asleep?"

"And proved that you snore." Abby opened her door. "If I carry Gavin can you carry Beth?"

McGee nodded.

Abby's apartment was one of four in what had once been a large three story home. Each floor was a single apartment, plus the basement had a small studio. Her apartment was on the second floor, something that felt increasingly inconvenient as she lugged the baby seat up the narrow staircase.

At the top, she set Gavin down in front of the door and unlocked the door. She walked into her apartment next with Gavin, flipping on light switches, with McGee trailing behind her carrying Beth and a few of their bags.

The front door opened into the kitchen/dining room, which was small and cramped, but practical. McGee looked surprised at how simple it was. Abby hadn't put much effort into the décor, since she didn't spend very much time in the kitchen. Her biggest influence was a metal chandelier she'd found at a thrift store and spray painted white. She had it hanging over the small wooden table in the corner with candles instead of light bulbs.

Abby carried Gavin through the kitchen and into the living room, which was much more "Abby" than the kitchen was. Blood red walls, big comfy black leather couch. Two black bookshelves, one for movies and one for books. She had a decent sized TV set, although it was nowhere near as big as Tony's, and a few funky lamps she had picked up here and there.

"Where should I put Beth?" McGee asked, hovering in the doorway. "On the couch?"

"Nah." Abby shook her head and set Gavin's car seat down. "C'mon, you can put her in my room."

McGee hesitated, but Abby waved him on and he followed her obediently. She flipped the light on in her bedroom and he stared in surprise. "A bed?"

Abby laughed, bouncing on the edge of the king sized bed. "Yes, McGee, I have a bed."

"What happened to the coffin?" His brow was wrinkling up in the way it always did when he was perplexed.

Abby pulled down the fuzzy zebra print comforter and motioned for McGee to lay Beth down. When he did, she tucked the covers around the little girl and pushed him out of the room.

"I had to have a home study done to get my foster parent certification," Abby explained. "Somehow I didn't think the coffin would go over real big so it has been relegated to coffee table status." She pointed.

"Oh." McGee gave her a half smile.

Abby glanced at the clock. It was nearly seven already. "I was gonna suggest we order pizza, but it's later than I thought. I'll make a sandwich for Beth if you wouldn't mind carrying in the rest of our bags."

"No problem."

Abby watched as McGee dutifully left to get the bags. He was way too sweet for his own good. If he didn't find the right girl she was going to walk all over him.

Ignoring the twinge that always hit her heart when she thought about McGee dating, Abby went into the kitchen and fixed a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich for Beth. By the time she finished, McGee had returned with the rest of their bags and she poured milk in a sippy cup.

"Just leave that stuff for tomorrow," she told McGee, who was starting to unpack the bags. "Just put away the perishables. I'm going to go try and wake up Beth."

She managed to rouse the little girl long enough to feed her some of the sandwich and most of the milk. Beth was sound asleep when Abby changed her into the pink princess pajamas she had bought her. She slid Beth into the center of the large bed and kissed her forehead.

When she went back into the living room, she found McGee and Gavin engaged in some kind of staring contest. She covered her mouth, trying not to laugh too hard. Gavin was staring up at McGee with his eyes wide open as if he were the most interesting person in the world, and McGee was staring down at him as if he were a math problem to be solved.

Suddenly, McGee's nose wrinkled. "That is one foul odor for one little baby," he told Gavin.

Abby couldn't hold her laugh back now. McGee looked up at her with his brows raised and she shrugged. This was going to be an entertaining night.

"All right, McGee," Abby said with an evil grin. "Time for your first lesson in diaper changing."

His face fell and Abby laughed again, running into the bathroom to grab a black bath towel which she lay out on the floor beside Gavin's car seat. Back in the kitchen, she grabbed the bag that had the new package of diapers and a pack of baby wipes in it and returned to the living room, settling herself down cross legged on the floor.

"Come on." She motioned for him to sit beside her, and he did, but with a grimace. Abby un-strapped Gavin and set him down gently on the towel. The baby kicked his legs and grinned at them.

Abby grinned back and leaned down to nuzzle his tummy. Gavin grabbed one of her pigtails and she had to pry it out of his surprisingly strong grasp.

She turned to McGee. "Okay, step one is you have to take off his pants."

McGee stared at Gavin and frowned. "Maybe I should just watch this time."

"Don't be silly, Tim." Abby rolled her eyes. "You'll learn much faster this way."

He gulped and hesitantly began tugging at the baby's pants.

"You can pull a little harder, he won't break," Abby reassured him.

After the pants came the onesie, which Abby talked him through unsnapping and then pushed out of his way. "Okay, next you open the diaper."

"I changed my mind, I want to go home," McGee said, only half kidding. This was not how he had imagined the evening going. He had assumed he would just be there for moral support and so Beth wouldn't freak out. He hadn't realized Abby was going to make him do things.

Especially change dirty diapers.

Abby was opening the tub of baby wipes. "Don't be such a baby," she told him. "Just peel back the tabs and open it up."

McGee swallowed. Something deep down told him this was a bad, bad idea. He went against his better instincts, peeled back the tabs, and opened the diaper.

The smell hit him like a baseball bat. "Oh, geez!" he exclaimed. "That is seriously bad!"

Abby was snickering beside him. She grabbed Gavin's kicking feet. "Here, hold his feet with one hand and lift his butt."

He did what she asked, awkwardly holding Gavin's feet and lifting his little butt off the ground.

Abby slid the dirty diaper out from underneath Gavin and handed McGee a baby wipe.

He stared at the wipe for a minute, then took it. "Now what?" he asked, feeling like an idiot, sitting there on the floor holding half a baby's body in the air.

She was enjoying this way too much. "Now, you clean him. Use the wipe."

McGee gagged as he went to work, Abby handing him fresh wipes as he used them until finally, finally, Gavin was clean.

She handed him a clean diaper. "Now you get a new diaper on him before he pees on you."

Pees? McGee paled. Crap, baby boys peed on people. He shook the diaper frantically with his free hand, trying to figure out how it worked.

Abby stilled his hand. "You don't have to hold his butt up anymore."

Oh. Right. McGee let Gavin's legs go slowly and the baby began kicking up a storm as soon as he had his freedom.

Abby showed him which end of the diaper was which and after what seemed like hours, it was all over. Timothy McGee had changed a diaper.

And he really hoped he never had to do it again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the first or second season there was a vague reference made to Abby possibly having a deaf older sister. Apparently the writers decided to forget about that, but it worked out well for this story so I'm running with it. I named her after my fabulous beta. :)

" _Wake up,_

_Tell me it's all right"*_

*"Wake Up" by Hanson

McGee watched in amazement as Abby simply put Gavin in the portable crib she had set up in her room and he fell asleep. Easy as that.

"I might not know much about babies," he whispered to her as they stood in the doorway, "but I know that's not normal."

She grinned, green eyes flashing. "He is an amazingly easy going baby."

"Maybe he's just lulling us into a false sense of complacency."

Abby snorted. "C'mon, let's get out of here before we wake them up." She herded him into the living room.

"I know it's early, but I'm exhausted," McGee admitted.

"Me too," Abby agreed. "I'm going to shower first, though. Then I don't have to worry about it in the morning."

McGee shuffled his feet, feeling a little uncomfortable. "So, um, where do you keep your extra blankets?"

"Extra blankets?" Abby frowned. "If you're cold I can crank up the thermostat."

"For the couch." He gestured to the object in question.

"Oh. Don't be silly, McGee, my bed is bigger than your entire cubicle at NCIS." She rolled her eyes. "Sleep on the couch," she muttered, shaking her head as she walked off towards the bathroom.

McGee stared where she had disappeared for a moment, then crouched down to dig through his duffel for his sweats. "Crap," he muttered to himself. "Hey Abby! You don't have a spare toothbrush do you?"

"Actually, I think I might still have your old toothbrush in here," Abby called from the bathroom.

McGee's head whirled around. "Huh?" He couldn't remember ever having left a toothbrush there. He'd only stayed at her apartment that one time…

Abby's grin was instantaneous as she popped her head out the door. "Just kidding."

"Cute." McGee rolled his eyes.

"I know I am." Abby disappeared into the bathroom only to reappear seconds later and toss him a package.

McGee looked down at the still wrapped toothbrush and made a face. "The Little Mermaid? Seriously? What are you four?"

"The dentist gave it to me. He said the smaller brush would be easier to get my back molars with. And the Little Mermaid is awesome, McGee." She stuck out her tongue and disappeared back into the bathroom.

He sighed. "Are you going to shower or can I brush my teeth?"

The shower turned on which McGee supposed was an answer. He ducked into Abby's office (the only room left with a door on it) to change when he heard her call out.

"I'm in the shower now, you can brush your teeth in here if you want!"

"Okay, I'll be in there in a sec," McGee called back, hurriedly changing into a pair of gray sweatpants and his MIT t-shirt. He grabbed the toothbrush Abby had given him and stepped into the bathroom.

The room had already gotten a little steamy, and McGee left the door open so the mirror would un-fog. Abby had re-done the bathroom since he'd last seen it, the walls were midnight blue and she had a periodic table shower curtain which made him smile a little.

As McGee put toothpaste on the Disney themed toothbrush, he bit his lip. "This is weird," he said out loud, but mostly to himself.

"What?" Abby poked her head out of the shower, holding the periodic table across her body. "I couldn't hear you."

"I said 'this is weird'," he repeated, leaning against the wall.

"'This' being my bathroom? Or the situation?" Abby asked with a cheeky grin, ducking back into the shower.

"The situation," McGee said, talking louder so she could hear him. "I like your bathroom."

"Thank you," Abby called from in the shower. "I considered monkeys, but didn't want to get nightmares."

"Hey!" McGee frowned, setting the toothbrush down on the counter. "I like monkeys!"

"I know." Abby's head popped out again, this time covered in white suds. "But I read this book once about these genetically engineered monkeys… I didn't sleep for a week. Scared the crap outta me."

"You're not scared of anything," McGee said softly.

"Am too!" Abby called from behind the curtain again. "Speaking of books, what have you been working on lately? Is Amy going to develop a monkey phobia now?"

McGee frowned. Even though he knew Abby was teasing, he was still pretty sensitive about his books. It didn't take much to give him flashbacks to dead bodies and Abby being held at gunpoint. He'd been very careful in his last few books to keep his real life inspirations vague and tried not to rely on the team so much for ideas.

"Hey."

He blinked and realized the shower wasn't running anymore and Abby was peering out at him with a concerned look on her face.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he reassured her.

She studied him carefully. "Could you hand me that towel?"

McGee handed her the navy blue bath towel she was pointing at and turned his back slightly to the shower to brush his teeth.

He could feel Abby's eyes on him as he brushed and rinsed. When he was finished and set the toothbrush down he turned to find her standing beside the shower, wrapped in her towel, her hair hanging down in wet tendrils.

"I didn't mean to tease you about your books," she said softly, looking rather vulnerable as she stood there, less than two feet away from him.

"I know." McGee sighed. "The last thirty six hours have just been really crazy."

She nodded. "Yeah, they really have."

"My dad sent me an email," he found himself telling her.

"Really?" Abby's green eyes widened. "What did he say?"

McGee let out a snort. "That my mom is glad we're talking and wants grandkids."

Abby held a hand up to her mouth and snickered.

"What?"

She nodded towards the rest of the apartment. "He wants you to have kids and we've got a pair of temporary ones in the next room."

McGee hadn't thought of it that way. "They're your temporary kids. I'm just the larger kid you invited to sleep over."

"Don't put yourself down." She was completely serious. "You've helped a lot, McGee."

He ran a hand through his hair. "It's all been you, Abby. I've just been along for the ride."

She leaned her head against his shoulder, her wet hair soaking through his t-shirt. "Not true, Tim. I fully intend to let you take Gavin's middle of the night feedings."

"Hey!" McGee pushed her off his shoulder and laughed. "Nice try, but it's your name on those foster care papers."

She grinned as she pushed past him. "I'm a sound sleeper."

* * *

When Abby came out of her bedroom wearing her favorite pajamas (Black flannel pants with hot pink skulls all over them and a matching hot pink tank top with a big black skull and crossbones on it) McGee was nowhere to be found. She followed the sound of computer keys being pressed into her office and flipped on the light.

McGee whirled around in her desk chair, looking guilty.

"You'd better not be messing with my computer." Abby narrowed one eye and tried her best to look dangerous.

Apparently it was working because McGee held up his hands. "I was just checking my email, I swear."

"Good." Abby walked over to the desk and squinted at the monitor. "Did you ever email your dad back?"

"Not yet." McGee looked down at his lap. "I have no idea what to say to him. I mean, yes, we talked on the phone, but it was weird and awkward. And the whole grandkid thing just threw me. I mean, why doesn't he bug Sarah? She's the one with ovaries."

Abby tried not to smile. "Maybe you should talk to your grandmother about it."

"Penny?" When Abby nodded, McGee frowned. "Maybe. I just hate putting her in the middle of all this. It's between my dad and I. We'll figure it out. Eventually."

Abby leaned against the wall facing him. "You never did tell me what it was he did that kept you from talking for seven years."

"He didn't really do anything." McGee sighed, still staring at the floor. "It was more just a buildup of little things. I realized he was never going to approve of me or my life and I thought it would just be easier if I stayed away. Then after awhile it had been so long I just didn't know what to say."

He sighed. Abby stayed silent, silently willing him to keep talking.

"He wasn't the worst dad in the world," McGee said after a few minutes. "He just didn't understand me. I didn't like sports, I didn't want to join the Navy, he didn't know what to do with a kid like me."

"Tim," Abby said softly, her heart breaking a little as she watched him looking so lost. "You've told me stories. Some of the stuff he said to you… no kid deserves to be treated that way."

"He was just acting the way his dad did." McGee shrugged. "Took me a lot of therapy bills to figure out that he wasn't going to change." At Abby's stunned face, he gave her a half smile. "Yes, therapy. And if you tell Tony I'll show him those pictures I found of you when you were a cheerleader."

"Ugh." Abby held up her hands in defeat. "I won't say anything. I promise."

McGee logged out of his email and turned back to her.

"So," Abby gave him a mischievous grin. "Bedtime?"

"Are you sure I shouldn't sleep on the couch?"

"McGee!" Abby grabbed his hands and dragged him out of the chair. "C'mon, I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."

"Why don't I believe you," McGee murmured, letting her pull him towards the bedroom.

Abby turned on her bedside lamp and neither Gavin nor Beth stirred. She smiled down at the little girl, fast asleep in the middle of her bed. She had one arm around Bert, her face pressed into a pillow. "See? We have a chaperone," Abby whispered. She climbed under the covers on one side of Beth.

McGee made his way around the bed and lay down on the other side of the bed gingerly, looking all kinds of uncomfortable. Beth immediately rolled over closer to him, sighing softly as she popped her thumb in her mouth and shut her eyes.

Abby propped herself up on one elbow and smiled. "She really trusts you."

"I don't know why," McGee murmured, awkwardly resting his arm across the little girl's body.

"You're a very trustworthy man, Tim," Abby told him in all sincerity. "I'd trust you with my life." And she had, before. She just hadn't been able to trust him with her heart.

* * *

The crying started out soft. Blinking in the darkness, McGee struggled to remember where he was. Right, he was in Abby's bed. "Abby?" he whispered. "Abby?"

Abby was curled up on her side, facing him with her arms curled up to her chest. She wasn't waking up, and the baby was beginning to cry louder.

McGee shook Abby's shoulder desperately as Gavin's cries reached a new strength. "Abby, you gotta wake up. I don't know what to do!"

"Pick 'im up," she murmured, burying her head further into the pillow. He didn't remember her sleeping this soundly before.

McGee eased himself off the bed so as not to wake Beth up, and stumbled across the dark room to where she'd set up the portable crib. There was just enough light shining through the door for him to see from the light in the kitchen that had been left on.

McGee peered over the edge of the portable crib. "Um, hey," he said, looking down at the red faced baby inside. He leaned down and wiggled his hands beneath the baby's head and butt, slowly lifting him up and praying that he wouldn't drop him.

"Please stop crying," he murmured, pulling the baby up to his chest and awkwardly patting his back.

Gavin gave a pathetic little whine, then hiccupped.

"Abby," McGee hissed. "Wake up!" he tried one more time.

It wasn't working. McGee looked down at Gavin and tried to stop the panicky feeling that was radiating throughout his body. He could handle this. Maybe.

He carried the baby out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. After his diaper changing lesson Abby had shown him how to make a bottle for the baby, "just in case".

He was beginning to feel like he'd been set up.

Somehow, McGee managed to fix a bottle with only one arm free, and he carried the bottle and the baby into the living room where he settled on the couch.

"Here you go," he murmured, placing the nipple in Gavin's mouth. Gavin sucked noisily on the bottle, giving McGee a quick smile before continuing with his meal. Apparently he was quite pleased with himself.

McGee couldn't help but smile back at the baby as he ate. Gavin really was a cute little guy. He had almost no hair, except for a thicker spot at the top that made him look like he had a baby Mohawk. His eyes were bright blue and far too alert for the late hour. McGee spotted his cell phone on the coffee table. Or coffin table rather. He leaned forward and managed to grab it without disturbing Gavin.

2:45. Well, it could be worse, he supposed. One of his friends had told him that their daughter woke up every hour, on the hour for the first six months of her life.

"Next time you wake up," McGee told Gavin, "we're going to let Abby handle this. Right?"

Gavin blew bubbles around the bottle.

"I'll take that as a yes." McGee put his feet up on the coffin and relaxed into the couch. It wasn't so bad, really, waking up to such a happy little face. Maybe all his panic was unfounded. Maybe he could handle being a dad someday.

It wasn't so hard. Fix the bottle, feed the baby, and go back to bed. Gibbs had told him that he wasn't going to break Gavin, so there was one worry out the window.

It actually felt good to be alone with the baby. McGee felt like he finally had a chance to figure out how to hold him right without the pressure of people watching him. Abby meant well, and she really was just trying to help him, but he could still feel her eyes on the back of his neck, waiting for him to make a mistake.

Without that pressure, he felt much more relaxed. His hold on Gavin felt more natural. He was getting the hang of this baby thing.

McGee had nearly dozed off when a change in noises alerted McGee to the fact that the bottle was empty. Gavin watched him intently as he set the bottle down on the table and shifted the baby in his arms.

"Okay," McGee murmured to himself. "Bottle, then burp. That much I know." He lifted Gavin up to his shoulder and patted his back gently.

Gavin nestled his head into McGee's neck. McGee kept patting until he let out a burp. That was good.

What was bad, was the sensation of liquid running down McGee's shirt and the rumbling in the general area of Gavin's diaper.

McGee made a face. "Crap. Literally."

* * *

Abby was smiling when she woke up, because she could hear McGee snoring beside her. She rolled over to face him and smiled over Beth's still-sleeping body. His mouth was open a little and every few breaths he made a little snorting noise.

She let her mind wander for a moment. The thought flashed into her mind that if she had been ready to be in a serious relationship back when McGee had, they could have been married right now. That Beth could have been their little girl, together.

It didn't scare her as much as she would have expected. A couple of years ago, she would have hyperventilated at the very thought of having a kid.

Abby reached out and played with one of Beth's curls. The blanket shifted and she frowned, wondering why McGee had taken his shirt off. Not that she was complaining, it left her with a nice view, but it was unexpected.

She lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. Okay, time to get real and snap out of it, Abby told herself. Hadn't she been listening in her foster care classes? Practically the number one rule was to not let yourself get attached. Especially when you know it's just a temporary placement.

Abby took a deep breath and sat up, slipping out of the bed quietly. She nearly tripped over McGee's shirt, which was crumpled on the floor. She frowned. That wasn't like McGee, he was tidy to a fault. She'd seen him folding his dirty laundry once. She picked up the shirt and bit back a smile at the sour milk smell.

Vaguely, she remembered McGee trying to wake her up at some point during the night. Oops. She usually was a light sleeper, but every now and then she fell into a deep sleep that Luca said was like a coma.

Speaking of Luca… Abby checked the clock in the kitchen. Just past six. No way on earth Luca was up yet. But Laura might be.

Abby set the coffee pot to begin brewing and wandered into her office. She sat down at the computer and signed into her Skype account, her face lighting up when she saw that her older sister was in fact signed in.

Before she could click anything, a small window popped up, Laura's smiling face inside. Abby grinned at her.

_What is my night owl sister doing up this early?_ Laura signed, making a surprised face at her.

_It's kind of a long story,_  Abby signed back.

_I've got time._

So Abby told her the whole story. The case, how they'd found Beth and Gavin alone in the trailer with all that blood, the social worker who agreed to let Abby have temporary custody until a more permanent situation could be found.

How attached Beth was to McGee.

_I can't believe someone let you have two kids,_  Laura joked, grinning at Abby over the Skype connection.

_Hey! I'm good with kids!_  Abby protested.

_Never said you weren't,_  Laura signed.  _But there's a difference between playing with kids and being responsible for them._

_I couldn't let them go to strangers._  Abby signed furiously.  _If you had seen how scared Beth was. She wouldn't let McGee out of her sight._

Laura raised her eyebrows.  _I see._

_Laura!_  Abby took a deep breath.  _You don't understand._

_I think I understand perfectly._

Abby ran her hands through her hair in frustration.  _This has nothing to do with McGee!_

_I know._  Laura grinned at her on the computer screen.  _I just like to watch you squirm._

_Jerk._  Abby turned when she heard a noise and found Beth standing in the doorway, rubbing her eyes and watching Abby intently.

"Hey sweetie," Abby said, still signing out of habit. "Come here."

Beth walked slowly across the room and let Abby pull her into her lap.

"This is my sister, Laura," Abby told Beth, signing in front of her.

"Hi Beth," Laura said out loud, signing as well. Laura could speak well enough to get by in the hearing world but much preferred signing, so Abby rarely got to hear her sister's voice.

Beth twisted around and looked at Abby quizzically.

_I should probably go,_  Abby signed, smiling at Laura.

_I figured. Talk to you soon, baby sister._

Laura signed off Skype and Abby turned her attention to Beth, who was waiting patiently on her lap. "Laura can't hear, so we talk with our hands instead," she tried to explain.

Beth thought about that for a minute, then pointed to her lips.

"She knows how to talk," Abby told her. "But she can't hear the sounds she makes."

Beth tilted her head.

Abby pushed her keyboard aside and lifted Beth onto the desk in front of her, so they could face each other. "Okay, she called me her baby sister." Abby demonstrated the signs for "baby" and "sister".

Beth looked down at her hands.

"Like this." Abby demonstrated, then guided Beth's arms in the sign. "See, it looks like you're rocking a baby, like your brother."

Beth smiled at her and made the sign for "baby" on her own.

"Good job!" Abby beamed at her.

Beth pointed at Abby.

"Oh, you want to know how to say 'Abby'?"

Beth nodded.

Abby considered finger-spelling her name, then decided that was too complicated for a three year old. Instead she showed Beth the sign for "aunt".

Beth imitated the sign and they both smiled at each other. Beth looked around and pointed to the computer. Then to her nose, then Abby's hair. Each time Abby showed her the appropriate sign and Beth imitated it as best she could.

"How about we go into the kitchen and I'll teach you some more signs while we make breakfast?" Abby suggested.

Beth's smile said that was a good plan.

* * *

"You know, it's really unfair that McDaddy gets to skip work just to play house with his ex-girlfriend," Tony whined as he tossed the rest of his barely touched sub into the trash.

Ziva frowned at him as she finished her salad. She'd picked up that sub for him at his favorite sandwich shop and the man had barely touched it (or paid for it). "What is the matter, Tony?" she asked.

"What's the matter?" Tony gestured at McGee's empty desk. "I'm stuck working on a Sunday and McGee's probably still sleeping. In Abby's coffin, most likely."

Ziva ignored his last statement. She did not want to think of McGee sleeping in Abby's coffin, or anywhere else in Abby's apartment for that matter. "You are still acting strange."

"Am not." Tony sighed. An actual sigh, the kind of sigh that alerted everyone around you to the fact that you were not, in fact, okay.

Ziva stood up and walked over to Tony's desk. She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows as she looked down at him.

Tony frowned. "I don't know if I want to talk about it."

"You would never let me get away with that," Ziva reminded him. Tony's typical response would be to provoke and annoy her into revealing whatever it was.

"You might be right," Tony admitted.

"I am always right," Ziva quipped, twisting her hips as she walked around his desk.

"It's a long story," Tony said after a moment.

Ziva glanced at the clock on the wall. They had fifteen minutes until their lunch break was over. "If you limit your movie references we will have enough time."

"You're killing me." Tony clasped his hand over his heart dramatically.

Ziva raised her eyebrows again.

"All right," Tony said finally, heaving yet another heavy sigh. "The truth is-"

"Gear up." Gibbs strode off the elevator and past them. "Vermont state police found Christina Flynn's body."

Tony was already pulling out his gun and badge. "Where?"

"In the woods about ten miles from the crime scene." Gibbs

Ziva resisted the urge to scream at Gibbs ill-timed interruption. Obviously the discovery of Christina Flynn's body trumped the conversation she was having with Tony, but she was really starting to get frustrated.

Something was going on with Tony. She knew that much. Usually, he was very open with his personal life, too much in fact. He hadn't been this secretive since his relationship with Jeanne, in fact.

And quite frankly, it felt strange not having McGee there with them.

She felt very unsure of herself. The whole team dynamic was "off". She glanced over at Gibbs desk and found herself feeling relieved when she spotted a coffee cup in his hand. Not everything had changed.

She grabbed her bag and followed Tony and Gibbs into the elevator. At least they would be meeting Ducky at the scene. Ziva had a sudden urge to listen to one of the Ducky's long winded stories.


	6. Chapter 6

" _As the world keeps spinning round  
You hold me right here right now"*_

*"Lucky" by Jason Mraz

McGee woke up to the sound of laughter and the smell of pancakes. He blinked, confused by the black sheets and the deep purple walls until he slowly remembered where he was.

Abby's apartment. Which meant Abby was making pancakes. His stomach growled. Pancakes sounded really good at that moment. Especially Abby's pancakes.

He sat up with a yawn, and looked around for his duffel bag. Spotting it off to one side, he got up and dug out a white t-shirt to pull on. He squinted at Abby's Emily the Strange alarm clock. It was almost ten. He never slept that late.

A soft noise made him look into the portable crib at Gavin, who was wide awake and staring up at him, making gurgling noises. "Try not to barf on me this time," McGee told him as he leaned down and picked the baby up.

Gavin said nothing, of course, as McGee tucked him into the curve of one arm. "Lets go see if Abby made us breakfast," McGee told him, walking out of Abby's bedroom and following the happy sounds and delicious smells into the kitchen.

Beth was standing on a kitchen chair next to the counter. Her eyes lit up when McGee walked in. She climbed down, ran over to where he was standing and tugged on his pants leg.

When she had McGee's full attention, she waved hello, then held up her first two fingers next to her head and twisted them in what almost looked like a funny little salute. She looked so proud of herself and McGee had no idea why.

Glancing up at Abby, who was grinning, McGee shuffled his feet.

Abby handed him a mug of coffee. "She just said 'hi, McGee' in sign language."

"Really?" McGee looked down at Beth and smiled at her. "Wow, I'm really impressed." He took a sip of his coffee and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head with the taste of the strong liquid.

"It's actually the sign for 'uncle', but I figured it was easier than trying to teach her how to finger spell your name." Abby turned back around and flipped the pancake in the griddle.

Gavin was getting heavy, so McGee used his ankle to pull out a chair and sat down. The coffee was good, and Abby knew exactly how much cream he liked. He paused for a moment to reflect on just how long the two of them had been friends.

He wasn't ashamed to admit that this was the first time he had ever stayed friends with an ex of his. Of course, it wasn't hard when half your exes had turned out to be psycho with a capital 'P', but it showed just how different things had been with Abby from the beginning.

She had seemed so perfect in the beginning, the way it always is when you're dating someone new. Only with Abby, it mattered a great deal to her that he not think of her as perfect, but see her flaws as well.

He hadn't understood that then. All he knew was that he'd met this amazing girl unlike anyone he had ever met before (and unlike anyone he had met since) and he didn't want to let her go. He'd gotten serious way too fast, and he knew he'd freaked her out.

Abby still wasn't big on commitment, which seemed to fly in the face of her fierce loyalty. Boyfriends were disposable, friends were forever. With Abby, everything was black and white. Never gray.

"Tim!"

McGee realized suddenly that Abby was trying to get his attention, and probably had for some time judging by the way she was waving the spatula around in front of his face. "Sorry. What?"

"I asked if you like butter on your pancakes."

"Uh, sure. Whatever's easier."

Abby rolled her eyes. "I didn't ask what was easier, I asked what you wanted."

"Butter." McGee gave her a small smile. "Please?"

Beth tugged on McGee's sleeve and demonstrated the sign for please. Abby beamed down at her. "Isn't she the smartest?" she asked McGee.

"She's pretty smart." McGee smiled at Beth.

Suddenly Abby jumped and ran over to the stove. "Oh, Fudgesicles! It's burning!"

McGee stood up to see if Abby needed any help and Beth pointed at the front of his pants.

Abby, who had just dumped the contents of the pan into the trash, turned around and started to laugh.

McGee looked down and groaned at the wet spot on his thigh. He looked at Gavin who gave him another toothless smile. "Thanks, buddy," he muttered.

Abby had to put the pan back down on the stove because she was laughing so hard. Her laughter was spreading to Beth as well, although the little girl didn't seem completely sure why it was so funny.

McGee held Gavin at a safe distance away from his shirt. "At this rate, I'm going to be out of clothes before lunchtime."

"Really?" Abby gave him a pleased looking stare and a wink.

"Abby!" McGee looked nervously at Beth. "Not in front of the kids."

She rolled her eyes. "Want me to change him?" Abby offered.

"Nah. Us boys have it covered." McGee gave Gavin a wry smile. "Besides, he's not the only one that needs changing."

"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't wake up last night," Abby said suddenly.

McGee shrugged. "It's okay. We did fine."

"I really was kidding when I said I'd let you take the middle of the night feedings." She gave him her best repentant smile.

McGee draped Gavin over one of his arms and rumpled Abby's hair. "Relax, I would have made sure you woke up if I'd really needed you."

"Positive you don't need help?" Abby winked at him, looking at the damp bottomed baby in his arms.

McGee shot her his best withering stare.

Abby tilted her head. "You look constipated."

If he'd had anything in his arms other than Gavin, he would have thrown it at her.

* * *

_Flash._

_Flash._

_Flash. Flash._

Ziva's head snapped up. It seemed that with every picture, Tony managed to blind her at a different angle. He had to be doing it on purpose. "DiNozzo, if you flash that camera in my eyes one more time you will lose a limb."

"Which one?" Tony asked absently, snapping a few more shots in her direction.

The body had been found just past a small clearing at the end of a dirt road. The state police had roped off the entire area with yellow police tape, including the bushes where Christina Flynn's body had been dumped underneath.

While Ducky and Palmer determined time of death and gave the body a preliminary examination, Tony and Ziva had been tasked with photographing and packaging every piece of trash in the small clearing, which the local teenagers apparently used as a party area. Ziva had already filled half a dozen evidence bags with beer cans alone.

Tony appeared to be spending half his time photographing various footprints and half his time randomly slinging the camera around trying to blind her.

Ziva grabbed the camera out of his hands. "Enough," she hissed. "What is the matter with you?"

Tony glanced over his shoulder towards Gibbs, who was listening intently to Ducky a dozen feet away. He didn't appear to be paying an attention to them.

Ziva waited for him to turn back to her. "Tony," she tried again. "Just tell me and get it over with." He needed to spit out whatever was on his mind before he drove them all completely insane.

"Wendy called me." Tony fiddled with his fingers as he made the statement.

"Wendy?" Ziva frowned. "Your former fiancée, Wendy?" Tony had not talked about the woman much in the past, but he had occasionally mentioned her enough for her name to stick in Ziva's brain.

Tony nodded.

"That's it?" She shoved the camera into his stomach. "I thought it was something serious!" She walked off towards the edge of the clearing.

"It is serious!" Tony followed her. "I haven't talked to her in almost ten years. Since the night before our wedding!" His face looked almost desperate as he moved in front of her.

Ziva paused. "The night before?"

"Yes." Tony nodded, pushing one hand in his jeans pocket.

"I did not know that." Ziva softened. "Why did she call you?"

Tony shrugged. "I let it go to voicemail and her message just said she wanted to talk to me. It's been driving me crazy."

"When did you get her message?" Ziva crouched down to bag a gum wrapper.

"Three days ago," Tony told her.

Exactly how long she had been thinking that Tony was acting strange. Well that certainly explained a lot. As she labeled the evidence bag she thought about how much this phone call must have affected Tony for him to keep it a secret for this long. He wasn't usually this secretive. Quite the opposite in fact.

"Why haven't you called her back?" Ziva asked finally, rising to a standing position.

Tony scratched his ear. "I don't think I want to know."

"You do not think you want to know what exactly?"

"Why she left." Tony looked almost vulnerable for a minute.

It passed.

"I mean, what if she thinks for some crazy reason that I did something wrong? I can't just apologize when I've clearly done nothing wrong. I'm a DiNozzo. DiNozzo men do not apologize."

Ziva rolled her eyes. Never mind, she gave up.

He was fine.

* * *

"Whatcha got for me, Duck?" Gibbs hovered behind the medical examiner as Ducky and Palmer rolled Christina Flynn's body onto her back.

"You're giving me even less time than usual to formulate a theory," Ducky remarked, gesturing to Palmer that he should take the liver temp. "Surely you could allow me give the body a quick glance over before I'm expected to give the cause of death?"

Gibbs remained silent and simply waited.

Ducky looked over the body. "Lividity and blood pooling suggest that she was killed elsewhere and moved to this location."

Gibbs waited for Ducky to say something he didn't know already.

That took approximately three and a half minutes. "I estimate time of death to be somewhere between twenty-four and thirty-six hours ago." Ducky handed the liver thermometer back to Palmer.

Palmer looked up in surprise. "Then she didn't die at the trailer."

"I don't believe so, no." Ducky examined the stab wounds in the woman's abdomen and arms. "The stab wounds appear mostly appear to be mostly flesh wounds, although this one here," he indicated one of the wounds in her abdomen, "nicked an artery and would have eventually proved fatal without medical attention. That would account for all the blood you found at the trailer, Jethro."

"Still haven't told me what killed her, Duck." Gibbs raised his eyebrows and waited.

"Petechial hemorrhaging in the eyes may indicate strangulation," Palmer observed, examining the woman's face.

Ducky shifted himself into a better position to double check Palmer's findings. "That is correct, Mr. Palmer. However, as there do not appear to be any marks around the victims neck I would suggest asphyxiation to be a more likely candidate."

"Someone suffocated her," Gibbs summarized.

Ducky squinted up at him. "Yes, that is my current hypothesis. However I will not know for sure until we get her back to the lab."

Gibbs nodded. "Get it done then."

He paced across the small clearing, passing where Ziva and Tony were taking photos and cataloguing evidence, and pulled out his cell phone when he had reached the van. He stared down at the screen. Only one of the little bar thingys was dark. He wasn't sure if that was enough, but he dialed Abby's cell number anyway.

"Hey Gibbs!" Her voice was bright and cheery, making him frown.

"Hey, Abbs." Gibbs paused, but there was no point in delaying bad news. "State troopers found Christina Flynn's body this morning. I hope you got enough sleep last night because I'm going to need both you and McGee in to work this afternoon. There's a lot of evidence to process. You'll let McGee know?"

"Yeah, I'll tell McGee." He could hear the empathy in Abby's voice.

"I know this is a hard case, but I really need you Abby."

"We'll be in as soon as we can," Abby told him softly before hanging up.

Gibbs hit the 'end' button on his phone with more force than was necessary and sighed. This case was hitting everyone especially hard. He knew Abby, knew she would be in her lab when he got back to headquarters, knew she would throw herself into her work furiously until she found something for him. But he also knew at some point she would run out of caffeine and crash.

He just hoped McGee would be there to catch her.

* * *

After breakfast Abby got dressed. She opted for a comfy black pair of sweatpants that said "Bad Kitty" across the butt and a red tank top with a black star on the front. She'd been pulling on a random choker out of habit when she looked in the mirror and laughed.

She unfastened the spike covered choker, still laughing to herself. She couldn't wear that, she'd impale poor Gavin!

Pigtails secured, Abby was surprised to find McGee casually sitting on the couch feeding Gavin a bottle. He seemed a thousand percent more relaxed with the baby that day and she had no idea why, but was happy for him.

Abby found some crayons her niece had left the last time Abby had seen her and set Beth up on the floor drawing happily with a stack of fresh printer paper beside her.

She and McGee were arguing over whether or not The Princess Bride was a child appropriate movie to watch when her cell phone rang. "Hey Gibbs!" she said brightly.

The smile slowly fell off of her face as she listened to Gibbs talk. She looked up at McGee who was watching her closely from the couch. Gavin had fallen asleep on his chest with his thumb in his mouth. She bit her lip as Gibbs explained what had happened.

"Yeah, I'll tell McGee." Abby swallowed and listened to the rest of what Gibbs had to say. "We'll be in as soon as we can."

Abby hit the 'end' button on her phone and stood in the middle of the room silently. She wanted to scream, or throw something, but could do neither. Instead she stood stiffly in the middle of the room and tried her best to contain her emotion.

"That was Gibbs?" McGee asked, prompting her gently.

Abby nodded. "Yeah. They found-" She glanced down at Beth. "They found the body," she said softly.

She watched as McGee's jaw clenched and unclenched. "I guess it was only a matter of time." None of them had really expected to find her alive, but finding a body seemed so cruel.

"Yeah." Abby scooped Gavin up from McGee's arms and held him to her chest, burying her face in his hair. He smelled so sweet, so innocent, and too young to lose a parent, especially this way.

It just wasn't fair.

"They need both of us back at work in awhile," Abby told McGee, still clutching Gavin to her chest like a lifeline. "I have to run tests and… tests and stuff."

"Okay." McGee stood up slowly and moved forward until he was standing right in front of her. "Are you okay?"

"It's not fair," she whispered, her green eyes shining with tears. "They don't deserve this."

"No, they don't," McGee agreed with her. He put his arms around her, pulling the two of them against his body and resting his chin on the top of Abby's head. "It'll be all right. Not now, but eventually."

"I know." Abby voice was muffled as she buried her face in his shirt, letting a pair of tears fall before she pulled away, wiping at her eyes. "I'm okay," she announced, just as much for herself as for McGee.

* * *

"How very young you are," Ducky mused as he gathered the tools he would need for Christina Flynn's autopsy. "Far too young for all the problems you endured prior to your murder."

Palmer was running late as usual, having had to stop back at his apartment to pick up something wedding related for Breena. The boy was quite the attentive bridegroom and Ducky was hesitant to complain. This would be, after all, but a short time in the young man's life. Soon enough, the wedding would be over and things would return to normal.

He had already done the preliminary examination, scraped what appeared to be skin cells from underneath Christina Flynn's fingernails, and gathered an assortment of fibers and bits of organic matter to send off to Abby in the lab.

X-ray's had been taken, revealing half a dozen bones that had been broken a few years before. According to Christina Flynn's file, they had been sustained in a car accident, where a drunk driver had smashed into the side of her car.

"I suppose that is when your drug abuse problems began," Ducky said, flipping through her medical records. "They gave you Oxycodone for the pain. A very affective pain suppressant but highly addictive, my dear. You no doubt know this quite well as it became your drug of choice."

Ducky looked closer at the inside of her arms. "Ah, yes, you were injecting the drug, no doubt. I will not know until Abigail returns with your toxicology panel whether or not you were currently using. Either way, if your use was chronic enough there will no doubt be signs in either your liver or your kidneys."

He set her arm back down and continued looking over the medical records.

"Ducky?" Abby stood hesitantly in the doorway, holding her hands behind her back. He had not seen her look that uncomfortable in autopsy since her nightmare all those years ago.

"Yes, my dear Abigail?" Ducky turned towards her.

"Can I come in?" She gave him a small smile.

"Of course." Ducky gestured for her to enter and she walked slowly towards him.

Abby stared down at the body on the slab in front of her. "So, this is her. This is Beth and Gavin's mom." The body was strangely serene looking, despite the multiple stab wounds to the abdomen and arms. Abby couldn't remember having been affected this way since it had been Kate's body in autopsy. Or Jenny's.

"It is." Ducky came to stand beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right, my dear?"

"No," Abby said simply, staring down at the woman. "She was beautiful." She had never met this woman, yet they were linked somehow.

"That she was."

Abby swallowed. "Beth looks just like her. How am I going to tell her, Ducky?" Her face fell.

Ducky put his arms around her and let her lean against him for a minute. "I realize you are thinking of when your own mother died, but at Beth's age she is not able to comprehend death as permanent. It will affect her in a far different way than you may imagine."

Abby listened carefully to Ducky. "So, she might not understand."

"Yes, that would not be out of the realm of possibility."

"How do I tell her?" Abby asked, pulling herself out of Ducky's embrace and looking up at him earnestly. "You have to tell me what to say."

"Keep it simple." Ducky gave her a small smile. "I realize that may be hard for you, but further explanation may not be necessary. Answer her questions. She may ask the same thing over and over again, that also is normal. Also, avoid using euphemisms such as 'gone' or 'sleeping', that will only confuse her."

Abby nodded, taking it all in. "Simple and honest."

"Simple and honest," Ducky echoed.

"I guess I can do that."

"I have the utmost faith in you." Ducky gave her a reassuring smile.

Abby turned back to Christina Flynn's body. It really didn't seem fair. She was so young and she had two beautiful children to live for. What would happen to them if Gibbs and the team didn't locate their father?

In her foster care class, she had heard so many horror stories of children bounced around the system, becoming more and more troubled and not uncommonly, abused. She couldn't let anything like that happen to Gavin and Beth. She had already called the social worker, Ms. Fowler, to notify her about where they were on the Flynn's case, and to express her desire to keep Gavin and Beth on a longer basis if needed.

But she couldn't keep them forever. She was a Goth party girl who worked eighty hour weeks on a regular basis. They needed a real home.

They needed their mom.

Abby bit her lip, ordering herself not to cry. She never cried. How could she? She dealt with death on an almost daily basis. If she cried over every body she'd suffer from chronic dehydration.

But this was different.

She cleared her throat. "We're going to find out who did this to you," she told Christina Flynn. "And I promise I'll make sure Gavin and Beth are taken care of."

Ducky watched as Abby turned on her heels and walked out of autopsy without a hitch in her step. "I have no doubt in my mind that she will, you know," he told Christina Flynn. "Abby is a powerful ally to have on your side."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a review from someone who said that they thought it was really mean of Abby to not wake up and leave McGee to take care of Gavin, which they were right, it was. I wanted to say that I honestly hadn't thought of that at the time, just saw it as a funny little scene. However, it does fit in well with my long term goals for this story, which is to show Abby slowly growing up and changing. The show hasn't let her mature much since the early seasons, and I'm looking forward to growing her character over the course of this story.


	7. Chapter 7

_"The refuge that you've built to flee,_   
_The places that you've come to fear the most,_   
_Is the place that you have come to fear the most."_

*"The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most" by Dashboard Confessional

"Sarah!" McGee looked up from his computer in surprise to see his sister standing in front of him with a visitor's badge pinned to the front of her blazer. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a girl come to visit her brother?" Sarah quipped, tilting one of his monitors slightly to the left.

"No, not when she's never done it before." McGee pushed her hand away and put the monitor back the way he'd had it before. "Who let you up here?"

"The cute guard downstairs." Sarah smiled at him in a way that would have made McGee very nervous if he didn't know for a fact that the guard on duty today was sixty-two and had six grandchildren.

"Why didn't he call?"

Tony raised his head. "Oh by the way, McGee, someone downstairs called and said your sister was coming up."

McGee glared over at him. "Thank you so much for that prompt message."

"No problem." Tony waved at them. "Hey there, Sarah. Kill anyone lately?"

"Day isn't over yet," she replied, raising her eyebrows at him.

Tony turned back to his computer and Sarah laughed.

McGee cleared his throat to get her attention. "Sarah? What are you doing here?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Actually, I came by to see if Abby was here. She was supposed to call me this weekend and I haven't been able to get in touch with her because I accidentally dropped my cell in the toilet. I tried calling you, but you weren't answering your home phone and your cell number was in my phone that drowned, so." She shrugged. "I dropped by."

McGee had his arms crossed by the end of her ramble. "How exactly did your phone fall into the toilet?"

"Toilet texting?" Tony suggested.

McGee and Sarah both looked over at Tony, who gave an over-exaggerated shudder, and turned back to his computer.

Sarah turned back to McGee. "It's a long story. Is Abby here?"

"Yeah, she's down in her lab." McGee was wondering if he should explain Gavin and Beth before he brought her down when the elevator dinged and Gibbs stepped off.

Sarah watched in amusement as Tony leapt to his feet. "Allison Penn's plane gets into Washington in an hour."

"Who's Allison Penn?" Sarah whispered loudly to her brother.

"A potential witness in a case," McGee whispered back. "Boss, this is my sister-"

"Sarah. I know." Gibbs held out his hand and shook Sarah's firmly. "Nice to see you again."

"I didn't mean to get in the way." She gave Gibbs her best charming smile while McGee rolled his eyes at her. "I just needed to ask Abby a question."

"I'd be very happy to escort her down to the lab," Tony suggested, and McGee nearly growled at him.

"That won't be necessary." Gibbs gave Tony a pointed look and he sank down into his desk chair. "You can, however, call Abby and let her known Sarah's on her way down."

"Yes, Boss," Tony said obediently, already dialing.

"Just take the elevator. Press 'B' for the basement. Abby will meet you at the door."

Sarah smiled warmly up at Gibbs. "Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. Anyway, I won't keep you guys from whatever you're doing. See you later, Tim!"

McGee watched as Sarah disappeared into the elevator, then realized Gibbs was staring at him, waiting with a look of eternal long-suffering on his face. "Sorry, boss."

Gibbs inclined his head and continued waiting.

"Uh, there hasn't been any activity on Lieutenant Flynn's cell phone or credit cards. I'm still sifting through his call history but so far I haven't found anything hinky."

More silent staring.

"I'm still running his home phone and the one from his wife's apartment. I'll find something," McGee promised.

Gibbs turned to Ziva.

"I have been looking through Lieutenant Flynn's bank and credit card statements and I found the payments he was making to a private investigator." She looked up at Gibbs. "I called his office, he's out of town on business until Wednesday."

"Kind of convenient how everyone's out of town," Tony remarked, playing with his stapler.

Gibbs turned to give Tony a look. "Kind of convenient how you don't seem to have enough to do."

Tony sat up. "I've been on the phone with several of Lieutenant Flynn's colleagues and friends, everyone claims that they haven't heard from him since Friday. They all provided me with alibis. I'm running them right now."

"Right now?" Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

"I could make some more calls." Tony put down his stapler and picked up the phone.

Gibbs nodded and swung around to Ziva. "You have enough to keep you busy?"

Ziva had one hand on her badge. "I was planning on meeting Alison Penn's plane and bringing her back here for her interview."

Gibbs nodded and she grabbed her things. "Wait." She stopped halfway to the elevator and turned back to him. "Take McGee with you."

"I am perfectly capable-" Ziva protested.

"I know." Gibbs nodded at McGee, who grabbed his stuff.

Tony whistled as the elevator doors closed behind the two agents. "That was some death glare Ziva gave you, Boss. I wonder why she didn't want a McTagalong?"

Gibbs turned slowly to Tony.

"Right!" Tony gulped. "I'll get back to setting up an interview with Lieutenant Flynn's commanding officer."

As Tony stabbed frantically at the numbers on the phone, Gibbs turned and let a tiny smile slip.

It really was fun to mess with him.

* * *

When the elevator door opened Sarah found herself swept up in a giant Abby-hug. She grinned and hugged her friend back. "Where've you been? I thought we were going to meet at that club last night?"

"Oh my god, I completely forgot!" Abby's eyes got all wide. "I'm so sorry, things have been really crazy this weekend."

Sarah smiled. "A big case?" she suggested.

"Yes and no." Abby laughed at Sarah's puzzled expression. "Come on, I'll show you." She grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her into her lab.

Sarah skidded to a stop in front of the portable crib Abby had set up in a corner of the lab. "Um, do you and Tim have something to tell me?" she teased, peering in at the sleeping baby.

"Like your brother could keep a secret that big." Abby grinned at her. "Isn't he beautiful?"

"Gorgeous," Sarah agreed. She leaned back and crossed her arms. "Now where did he come from?"

"Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much," Abby teased her, laughing at the outraged expression on Sarah's face. "Gavin and Beth are my very first foster kids."

"They let you have a kid?" Sarah leaned against one of the tables.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Abby checked on Major Mass Spectrometer and turned back to Sarah.

"Well, I don't know why everyone else said that, but I thought you said your social worker hated you and I quote 'thought you were planning to use your foster kids as human sacrifices in the woods'."

Abby's eyes twinkled. "I may have said something like that. And she does still hate me." She explained about the case and how another social worker had let her have temporary emergency custody of Beth and Gavin.

"Wait." Sarah was now sitting on one of the large metal tables the lab had for Abby to spread out evidence on. Her legs were swinging as she frowned. "If the baby's sleeping, where's the other kid? I didn't see her upstairs with Tim."

Abby's eyes widened. "Beth!" she squealed, running awkwardly in her platform mary janes. She whirled around the doorway to her office. "You stay here," she ordered Sarah, who nodded obediently and watched.

Abby crouched down in front of her desk. "Beth, are you under there? I'm so sorry. I forgot to tell you Sarah was coming down."

A sniffle was her only answer.

"Beth, honey, it's okay. I promise." Abby felt like a giant moron. How could she have forgotten about Beth? Some mother she would make when she forgot how much strangers scared one little girl. "Sarah is McGee's little sister."

A wary little face peeked out at her.

"She's really nice. She's my friend too and I told her all about you." Abby held out one hand. "Do you think you could come out and meet her?"

Beth's eyes moved sideways and she peered around the corner of the desk at Sarah, who gave her a little wave. She looked back at Abby, her eyes wary.

"Please?" Abby asked again.

Very slowly, Beth crawled out from under Abby's desk and stood up. She kept her eyes on Sarah and held her arms up to Abby to be picked up.

Abby swung Beth onto her hip and carried her into the lab. She stopped a few feet away from Sarah. "Sarah, this is Beth. Beth, this is McGee's little sister Sarah. She's really nice."

Sarah waved.

Beth turned to Abby and used the sign Abby had taught her to use for McGee.

Abby nodded. "Yeah, McGee. I'll show you how to say sister later, I need both arms for it."

Beth seemed satisfied and turned away from Sarah, resting her head on Abby's shoulder.

Abby shrugged at Sarah, who was watching carefully. "Crisis averted, I think. She really likes your brother."

"He has that effect on kids." Sarah slid off the table. "Although not usually ones this young. You're teaching her how to sign?"

"Yeah." Abby slid a stool over from her computer and sat down. "She hasn't said a word since McGee found her, but she saw me signing and wanted to learn how."

"Cool. Is that really the sign for McGee?" Sarah asked.

Abby shook her head. "Names are kinda complicated, I figured I'd just assign everyone something simple for her. I taught her 'uncle' for McGee and 'aunt' for me. I'm still deciding what she should call the rest of the team." Abby's eyes took on an evil glint.

"That's pretty cool." Sarah raised her eyebrows. "Aunt Abby and Uncle Tim?"

"Doesn't mean anything." Abby insisted. "They were just the first thing I thought of. Has anyone ever told you you're a terrible matchmaker?"

"Tim has, I think, after the time I tried to fix him up with my best friend when I was nine."

Abby laughed.

"Yeah, he wasn't amused." Sarah smirked. "He's fun to screw with."

"He is," Abby agreed.

"Anyway, you never told me when you wanted your car back," Sarah said. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you, because your car is awesome, but I didn't want to take advantage."

"Actually…" Abby wrinkled her nose. "I don't know if the car seats would fit in the back of my car. You mind me hanging onto yours for another week or so?"

"I did say I wasn't complaining." Sarah smiled. "Keep it as long as you want. Just don't let Tim look in the trunk, please."

Abby laughed. "I think I can do that for awhile." Beth squirmed to get down and Abby let her slide onto the floor. The little girl eyed Sarah suspiciously as she slowly walked back into Abby's office.

Sarah giggled as she heard the 'swish' of the office door closing. "Wow, I really don't think she likes me."

"She likes closed doors," Abby said absently, staring off. "But you might be right."

"Hey!" Sarah protested.

"You know I'm a terrible liar," Abby reminded her and they both smiled at each other.

One of Abby's "babies" let out a loud "BEEP" and Sarah smiled sheepishly. "I should get going. You have work to get back to."

"I do." Abby glanced over her shoulder at the computer. "Which means any second now Gibbs is going to show up demanding answers."

"Got it." Sarah held up her hands. "I'm getting out of here before I accidentally get my DNA on something and wind up a suspect again."

Abby grinned at her. "I'll text you later."

"You'd better. I want to hear all the dirty details about my brother changing diapers." Sarah waved cheerfully as she exited the lab.

Abby was just bringing the test results up on her computer screen when she felt a presence behind her. "Please tell me there's a Caf-Pow waiting for me."

Gibbs reached one arm around her and dangled the bright red cup like a carrot on a string. "That depends," he said, his voice rumbling in her ear. "Got anything for me, Abbs?"

"Gibbs!" Abby groaned. "You're here!"

"I am." He looked confused, yet amused.

Abby twirled around and stumbled in her platforms.

Gibbs reached out to steady her. "Are you okay, Abbs?"

"I'm okay." Abby turned towards her office when a crashing sound resounded through the air. "The question is, is Beth okay?" she said cryptically, disappearing into her office.

She'd meant to warn Gibbs about this, after Beth's reaction when Sarah showed up she knew the little girl needed advance warning, which Gibbs wasn't exactly big on. He was going to have to curtail his sudden entrances while Beth was around, until she got used to him.

"Beth?" Abby called softly. As predicted, there was a tiny form huddled under her desk. "Next time Gibbs will knock, okay. I'm sorry he scared you."

She sat down on the floor, crossing her legs underneath her. "Come on, Beth, it's just Gibbs. Remember?" She demonstrated the sign she had taught Beth earlier.

There was a little scuffling noise.

Abby caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and looked out at Gibbs, who reached in his pocket and pulled out a candy bar from the vending machines. She grinned. It was worth a try anyway.

"He brought you some candy." Abby held out her arms and waited.

For a minute, she thought she was going to have to try another approach, but Beth finally crawled out and let Abby tuck her into her arms. "It's okay, sweetie," she murmured, rubbing Beth's back softly. She nodded at Gibbs, who had signed the question of if he could come over there.

Gibbs crouched beside her. "Hey, Beth, I'm real sorry if I scared you. I forgot Abby had a little sidekick today."

Beth turned her head a little so she could just peek out from Abby's chest at him.

He gave one of her short pigtails a gentle tug. "Abby told me she's been teaching you some signs."

Beth released one small hand from the death grip she had on Abby's shirt and demonstrated the sign for "aunt", her little fist moving slowly beside her face.

"Wow." Gibbs gave her a big smile. "You are one smart little girl. Did Abby teach you my name?"

"Go ahead," Abby prompted.

Beth finally lifted her head and signed. Abby tucked her face against Beth's hair and waited for Gibb's reaction.

It took him a minute, then he laughed. "Did she just call me a silver haired fox?"

"Maybe." Abby grinned into Beth's pigtails. "Can you pass the word along that people need to call before they come down here? Otherwise I think Beth is gonna take up permanent residence under my desk."

"I'll let the team know," Gibbs reassured her. "You got something for me?"

"Right!" Abby twirled around. "Of course I have something, you're here. Um." She looked at Beth and frowned.

Gibbs waited patiently.

"Oh!" Abby grabbed a corner of the portable crib and rolled it into her office. She set Beth down by her desk. "Can you play in here while I talk to Gibbs about grown up stuff?"

Bet shrugged her shoulders.

"Just knock on the window if Gavin wakes up, okay?" Abby gave her a big smile that she hoped was reassuring.

Gibbs was waiting for her by the computer, squinting at the screen. "You should bring your glasses with you," she admonished him.

"Still wouldn't understand it, Abbs."

"Right." Abby grinned and brought up the test results. "Okay, she did not have any drugs in her system but her blood alcohol content was .745. Not legally impaired, but close."

Gibbs paused then frowned. "That's it?"

Abby laughed. "Science takes time, Gibbs. I only got the rest of the stuff from Ducky like a half hour ago. I wanted to get some tests running before I played 'guess who got drunk on this beer' with all those cans you guys brought back from the scene."

"All right." He kissed her on the top of her head. "Call me if you get anything interesting."

"Everything's interesting!" Abby called after him, smiling.

* * *

"I am driving," Ziva announced before McGee could protest. The look in her eyes dared him to dispute the statement.

She slid into the driver's seat of the car and to her relief McGee silently got into the passenger seat beside her. Taking a deep breath, she placed the key in the ignition and was about to start the engine when McGee lay a gentle hand over hers.

"If you want, I'll hide downstairs with Abby until you get back. Gibbs doesn't have to know."

Nearly gasping aloud at the relief when his hand lifted away from hers, Ziva shook her head. "No, that will not be necessary."

But she still didn't start the car.

McGee waited patiently for her to speak. He was always such a patient man, except perhaps when Tony was goading him on. It was not his fault she had been feeling rather vulnerable the past few days and hated the feeling more than anything else in the world.

"How is Beth?" she asked finally, turning to look at him as he replied.

Predictably, McGee's eyes lit up at the thought of the little girl. "Really good, considering. She's still not talking to anyone but Abby taught her a few signs and she seems comfortably communicating that way."

"That is good." Ziva nodded. "Does she know about her mother yet?"

McGee shook his head. "Not yet. I think Abby wants to wait until we're home, I mean at her apartment, before telling her. Just in case she freaks out."

"Of course." Ziva started the engine and shifted the car into reverse.

"Ziva-" McGee began, but she cut him off.

"Not now, McGee." Ziva began pulling the car out of the parking space. "I know we need to talk, but not now." She already knew.

He was still in love with Abby.

It wasn't really a revelation to her, she had always suspected that McGee's feelings for Abby had only gotten stronger as the years passed, but now he wore them on his face like a blinking neon sign. They were impossible to ignore.

And ignoring them was exactly what Ziva had been doing the past few months, during all the innocent flirting and drinks after work. For once in her life Ziva had been just relaxing and seeing where things went.

They had brought her to this moment. Sitting stiffly in a car next to a man she considered one of her closest friends in the world, feeling like a fool for thinking they could be more.

"Tony has been acting more normal today," McGee stated after several minutes of silence.

"He has." Ziva kept her eyes on the road. "I have yet to decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing."

"I vote for bad."

She couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Alison Penn had chin length blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She squirmed in one of the interrogation room's uncomfortable chairs and generally looked agitated.

McGee and Ziva stood in the next room watching the overweight woman in jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. She had been full of questions as soon as she had stepped off the plane, but they had been instructed earlier by Gibbs to tell her nothing.

She stared at the mirror, not quite directly at them. She looked so distressed Ziva almost felt sorry for the woman. Obviously she had cared for Christina Flynn, enough to allow the woman to stay in her home when she had snatched her children.

Alison's head snapped to the side as Gibbs opened the door and stepped inside. "Where are Gavin and Beth? Are they all right?" she demanded to know, pleading with her eyes.

Gibbs calmly sat down and placed a manila folder on the table in front of him before he looked up at her. "Gavin and Beth are being taken care of," he said simply.

"You have to tell me what's going on," Alison insisted. "Where's Chris? Your agents wouldn't tell me anything that's going on."

"That's because I told them not to."

Alison frowned at him. "Why would you do that?"

Gibbs ignored her question and leaned back in his chair. "You met Christina Flynn in college?"

"Yes, we were roommates our freshman year." Alison eyed him warily.

"Did you know your friend Christina didn't have custody of Gavin and Beth?"

"Of course I knew." Alison crossed her arms. "She's my best friend."

"And you knew that her taking Beth and Gavin across state lines was federal crime?"

Alison swallowed, her tough exterior sprouting a crack. "I didn't think about that. I just knew what Chris told me when she called."

"Which was?"

"That she was scared. That someone was after her and she didn't want her kids hurt. I wasn't home so I told her to go to my place. Told her where I stash the spare key. I thought we'd have time to talk about it when I got back."

Gibbs watched her carefully. "And you were where exactly?"

Alison frowned. "I was in New York, taking a new accounting course. I thought my boss told your people that when they called."

"There are people who can verify that you were there the entire time?"

"I suppose." Alison frowned. "Um, there were a lot of people there. I assume someone would recognize me. I had to change hotel rooms because there was a cigarette smell in my room."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

"I'm really sensitive to smells." Alison shrugged. "I think the manager was pissed, he probably remembers me."

"Probably," Gibbs agreed. "Did you talk to Christina again while you were there?"

She shook her head. "No, she said she was going to call me back but she never did." Alison let her gaze drop to the folder in front of the senior agent. "Something happened to her, didn't it?"

"Who was after her?" Gibbs asked calmly.

"I don't know!" Alison exclaimed. "She wouldn't say. She just kept saying that the kids were in danger and that someone had been watching her."

Gibbs tried switching gears. "What about Brian? Do you think he was the one after her?"

"Brian?" Alison looked genuinely puzzled. "I don't think so. I mean, he kinda had a temper, but so did Chris. That was one of the reasons why their marriage didn't work out. But he loves those kids. He'd never hurt them."

Gibbs slowly opened the manila folder and slid a photograph across the table to Alison.

She eagerly reached out and froze as her eyes focused on the photo. "That… this is my house."

"It is."

"What happened?" Alison's voice sounded very small as she stared down at the photograph in her hands. It was the living room of her trailer… and there was blood on the carpet.

"We don't know," Gibbs told her, watching her reaction carefully.

In the observation room, McGee turned to Ziva. "Do you think she's telling the truth?"

Ziva continued watching Alison. "She does not appear to be untruthful."

"She sounded really worried." McGee shifted uncomfortably. "She has no idea Christina is dead."

"I do not believe so." Ziva continued watching the scene as it unfolded in the room.

"Please," Alison pleaded, leaning forward. "Just tell me what's going on and I'll tell you everything I know. Please."

McGee and Ziva watched as Gibbs' fingers twitched over the file folder, separating the thin piece of paperwork on the top from the photograph below it, the photograph of Christina Flynn's body where they had found it.

Gibbs closed the folder and folded his hands. "We found a body this morning several miles from your house. Fingerprints positively identified it as Christina Flynn."

"Oh god." Alison clapped a trembling hand over her mouth. "Not Chris… wait! You said the kids were all right. What about Beth and Gavin?"

"They're fine," Gibbs reassured her. "They were not harmed."

Alison's eyes filled with tears and she stared at Gibbs. "You're going to find out who did this?" she whispered.

"I will do everything in my power." Gibbs voice was strong and sure, and Alison latched on to what little comfort she could.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"She just assumed that Christina was murdered," Ziva whispered to McGee.

"With all that blood, and the body so far away, it's hardly a suicide," he whispered back.

"Do you know if Christina was seeing anyone?" Gibbs continued.

"Seeing anyone?" Alison frowned. "Like a boyfriend?"

Gibbs nodded.

She shook her head vehemently. "Absolutely not. Between the divorce and how bad the postpartum depression hit her this time, she didn't have the time or energy for a boyfriend."

"You're positive."

"Yes," Alison told him, nodding.

Gibbs slid the last photograph in the folder out and slid it across the table. "Do you recognize this man?" he asked.

The photo was a blown up version of the surveillance photo Ziva and Tony had found in Lieutenant Flynn's house, cut so Christina Flynn was not visible.

Alison shook her head slowly. "No, I've never seen him before. Is he a suspect?"

"Just someone we're looking for," Gibbs dodged the question.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who he is," Alison said honestly. "Maybe Brian knows him."

"Maybe he does," Gibbs said.

Now if they could only find him, they could ask him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention last time that the Wendy in this story, is not going to be the Wendy we met in season 9. Instead, she's going to be the Wendy I always imagined in my head, very different from the one we saw.


	8. Chapter 8

" _I need a little more luck than a little bit  
Cuz every time I get stuck the words won't fit"*_

*"Tongue Tied" by Faber Drive

McGee knocked softly on the door to Abby's lab. He'd heard what had happened when Sarah and Gibbs had shown up unannounced and had called ahead, but wasn't taking any chances.

"It's McGee!" he heard Abby call to Beth. "Should we let him in?" A silent moment. "Are you sure?"

He crossed his arms and waited until Abby clunked across the room and let the door slide open. "Beth says I have to let you in," she said with a shrug.

"Is that so?" McGee winked at Beth, who was waiting in the middle of the room. "At least someone loves me," he quipped.

"You know I love you, McGee."

McGee crouched down in front of Beth. "Like a puppy," he whispered loudly, and the little girl rewarded him with a smile. "Can I have a hug?" he asked.

Beth flung her arms around him, hugging him tighter than he'd expected, nearly knocking him over.

"Whoa!" McGee laughed. "That's a nice welcome. Where's your brother?"

Beth pointed.

"He's been talking up a storm," Abby told him.

"Really?" McGee gave Beth a kiss on her forehead and stood up, walking over to the portable crib.

Inside, Gavin waved his arms and kicked his legs, grinning up at McGee. "Ahh!" He let out a grunt.

"Hey, buddy." McGee scooped him up and gave him a kiss. He had to say, he could get used to greetings like that. It really made you feel wanted.

Beth tugged on his pants. When McGee looked down at her, she patted her leg and then waved her open palm in front of her chest.

"I'm going to have to learn sign language too, aren't I?" he said to Gavin, who blew spit bubbles at him.

"I promised her we would go see Jethro after work," Abby translated. "I also may have mentioned something about pizza."

Beth smiled shyly up at him.

"You don't think he'll scare her?" McGee asked, glancing down. "He's kinda big, and she's so tiny."

Abby swung Beth onto her hip. "We talked about it today while I was waiting for AFIS to stop being such a poopy head and she understands that Jethro is a big dog and that he might bark a lot and try and jump on her. You can go in first and calm him down."

He was still a little skeptical, but Abby looked so sure of herself and Beth so happy, McGee felt himself caving. "All right, but if he scares her I'm blaming you."

"I'd expect no less." Abby smiled. "Besides, you need to pick up more clothes, right?" She set Beth back down on the ground.

McGee bit his lip for a moment. "Just how long am I packing for?" he asked, trying to sound relaxed.

Abby shrugged. "A few more nights? Just until Beth is comfortable enough to stay with just me."

"Okay." McGee felt a tiny hand slip in his free one. He looked down to find Beth staring up at him with a concerned expression on her face. He squeezed her hand. "I'm not going anywhere," he told her. Not that night anyway.

Abby was right, he at least had to stay until Beth was a little more comfortable. She'd been fairly okay during the day with Abby, but McGee had been down several times to check on her and she was obviously still very fearful.

He knew he was already attached to both Beth and Gavin, but was doing his best to keep it under control. He knew full well this was only a temporary situation, and it would be better when he could step back from the situation a little bit.

Until then, Beth needed him. Maybe Abby did too, he wasn't sure, but he was determined to be there for Beth. That little girl needed someone in her life that she trusted right now and he would be that person for as long as he had to.

* * *

Tony waved goodbye to Vance's secretary as she left. Gibbs had told everyone to go home an hour ago, but he just hadn't felt like going home.

The whole Wendy thing had really thrown him. He did his best to put on a normal face when everyone was around, but he still felt weird about it. He'd thought he was doing a good job of faking things, but Ziva had known right away.

Must be those crazy ninja Mossad skills.

Tony opened a browser window and brought up his email. Yesterday Wendy had emailed him. The perils of keeping the same email address for 10 years.

In the email, she had been more specific than the previous voicemail. She said she knew he was avoiding her. She understood that, but was going to be in town for the next couple months and really wanted to talk.

Tony hadn't been lying when he told Ziva he was afraid of what Wendy might tell him. He knew he hadn't been the greatest boyfriend back then, and the thought of having his flaws pointed out made him cringe. Or worse, maybe she wanted him back. That thought wasn't as scary, just strange.

Or maybe she just wanted to catch up. He really didn't know. He'd been guilty of looking up an ex-girlfriend or two on Facebook in the past, maybe she just wanted to say hello or something.

He pulled up the email and clicked on the 'reply' button. It was time to stop acting like McGee and grow a pair. He typed quickly, before he chickened out again.

The message was short. Hello, how are you, that kind of thing. He lied through his teeth about forgetting about her message, then said he'd love to get together and talk (another lie). The only thing he didn't lie about was when he said it would be nice to see her again. That part was true. At one time in his life, he and Wendy had been really close friends. He might not miss the romance, but he missed the friendship.

When the elevator dinged, he had just put the finishing touches on his message.

"What are you doing here?" Ziva frowned at him, coming over to stand in front of his desk.

"Just finishing up some work," Tony lied. "I thought you went home."

"I did." Ziva walked over to her desk and picked up an object. "I left my phone here."

"Oh." Tony gave her a smile that was only half forced. "Well, I was just about to go home anyway."

Ziva nodded. "I was planning to go get some dinner if you would like to join me," she said, raising her eyebrows at him.

He thought about saying no, but he had a feeling dinner with Ziva was just what he needed. "Sure. Just let me grab my stuff."

Ziva left to wait for him downstairs and Tony turned back to the computer screen.

_Email sent_.

* * *

McGee's fears about Jethro turned out to be completely unfounded. The dog sat calmly as he let Abby and the kids inside and didn't so much as twitch his ear until Beth stroked his head. Then he let out a whine and lay down at the little girl's feet.

Abby laughed as the dog rolled over onto his back and exposed his belly. "Aren't you an attention hound," she said, still laughing.

McGee shook his head in amazement. "Apparently there is someone Jethro loves more than you."

Frowning, Abby followed McGee's pointing finger to where Beth was experimentally running her fingers over Jethro's belly. The dog moved his head so he could lick her fingers and Beth giggled. "Traitor," Abby muttered.

He felt his heart squeeze at the sound. Beth had been so quiet, so subdued, and rightly so with all the trauma and upheaval in her little life. But hearing her high pitched giggle, seeing the look of joy and wonder on her face, that was priceless to him. It touched the depths of his heart in a way he hadn't expected it to.

McGee left Abby and the kids with Jethro, who was basking in all the attention and seemed completely nonplussed when Gavin managed to snag an ear for a squeeze. He never would have thought that the dog that attacked him all those years ago would turn out to be such a great pet, let alone one that was good with kids.

He had Abby to thank for that, McGee mused as he made his way into his bedroom and pulled a duffel bag out of his closet. He'd always wanted a dog, but he wasn't sure he'd have ever taken the plunge if she hadn't encouraged him, and it certainly wouldn't have been Jethro.

It would have been terrible if that beautiful creature had been blamed for the death of his owner. In reality, Jethro was an affectionate and obedient dog who loved lying on McGee's feet while he wrote. McGee had even stopped wearing socks in the winter, because there was always a furry bundle keeping his feet warm.

The only time Jethro even remotely resembled the creature McGee had first met was when they were out for a walk and he spotted a squirrel. Jethro loved chasing squirrels.

McGee threw two pairs of jeans and a couple pairs of slacks into his duffel bag. He could do laundry at Abby's place, but wanted to avoid it if possible, plus he had to restock his Go Bag. He packed extra shirts (although he'd already learned to always have a small towel handy when Gavin was around) and pajamas, plus underwear and socks.

"How goes the packing?" Abby asked, holding Gavin facing out on her hip. The baby smiled and blew spit bubbles at him.

"Good. I won't take too much longer," McGee reassured her.

She sat down on the end of his bed. "No rush. I set Beth and Jethro up on the couch watching TV together."

McGee shook his head as he pulled a couple blazers out of his closet. "Opportunistic creature. He knows who he can con into letting him on the couch."

"But he has those big sad eyes." Abby stuck out her lower lip, which Gavin turned to reach and tried to grab.

McGee laughed at Gavin's antics. "Yeah, I know those eyes. I see them every time I leave for work, or eat meat, or walk near the cupboard that has his food in it."

"Or when you sit on the couch?" Abby added, leaning backwards until she was lying on his bed, Gavin sprawled on her tummy looking like a beetle on its back.

"That too." McGee hung the blazers on the doorknob and sat down on the bed next to Abby. "He's an equal opportunity beggar."

Abby turned Gavin over so they were tummy to tummy. His little head bobbed up and down and he kicked his arms and legs.

McGee watched him for a few minutes. "How did you get so good with babies?" he found himself asking. "I didn't know you'd been around many."

"I haven't." Abby turned her head towards him. "Laura and her husband never had kids, but Luka has Carly and he lived in this area until she was two, so I spent a lot of time with her. She was so cute when she was born, stick straight blonde hair that stuck straight up and the Scuito green eyes…" her voice trailed off and her eyes clouded.

McGee stroked her hand which was resting on Gavin's back. "They're still Scuito eyes as far as I'm concerned."

"Thanks, Tim." She gave him a small smile. "I keep trying not to think about it, but sometimes I can't help it. I still don't know if I should tell Laura and Luka."

"I'm sure you'll make the right decision when the time comes."

"I hope so." Abby sighed.

"Have you seen your brother again? I mean, your other brother?" McGee hoped he wasn't stepping over a line. Abby was usually so open, but he wasn't going to make her talk about anything she was uncomfortable about.

"A couple times," she said after a pause. "I go to the shelter and play with the puppies and he tells me all about the different animals they've had. He's a really nice guy."

McGee realized he was still stroking Abby's knuckles. He hoped that she didn't see the flush in his cheeks. He gave her hand a light squeeze and pulled away.

"You should ask Sarah to stay here and take care of Jethro," Abby suggested, effectively changing the subject.

"I don't know. The last time I let her housesit she ate all my food, drank all my beer, and let Jethro sleep in the bed."

"You don't let Jethro sleep with you?" Abby asked, looking horrified.

McGee laughed. "I don't like my sheets to smell like dog. Plus he farts in his sleep."

That cracked Abby up, and not to be outdone, Gavin beamed at them before laying his head down on Abby's chest.

McGee reached out to stroke his cheek with one finger. "Looks like someone's getting sleepy."

As if on cue, Gavin's face turned from happy to sad and he let out a whimper.

"Or hungry." Abby laughed again. "Okay, little man, I know, you only cry when you're hungry and I don't remember when you ate last."

"I'll go fix him a bottle," McGee suggested, standing up. He offered Abby a hand and she let him pull her into a sitting position.

"Can you grab the diaper bag first?" Abby shifted Gavin into a better position in her arms. "I should change him first. He'll probably fall asleep in the car."

"Sure." McGee returned a moment later with the bag. Abby lay Gavin down on the bed and rummaged around, pulling out a bottle and a can of powdered formula, which she handed to McGee.

It was starting to feel so normal to him. Check on Beth, fix a bottle. It wasn't until he was heading into the kitchen to fix the bottle that it really hit him how easily he had slipped into this routine.

As he mixed the formula and warmed the bottle, McGee couldn't believe that it had barely been four days. Four days ago he barely knew which end of a bottle was up, let alone how to fix one. Heck, he'd barely known which end of a  _baby_  was up.

He wondered if it all felt as weird to Abby. It was certainly a fun change from video games and a lack of dates, but Abby always had big plans for her evenings, especially on the weekends. Was she missing out on a concert tonight? Or a date?

He frowned at that thought. McGee wasn't an idiot, he knew he had no right to care if Abby went out on a date. Or dates, as he knew it was far more likely to be. It had been eight years since they had been anything but close friends, but sometimes he looked at her, and her eyes lit up and…

"The bottle almost ready?" Abby called from the other room.

…he felt something.

McGee could hear Gavin fussing. "Yeah. I'll be right there," he called back.

He checked on Beth again on his way back. She was sprawled half on top of Jethro, who looked to be in all of his glory, watching a cartoon. McGee rolled his eyes at the guilty look that came over Jethro's face when he spotted his master.

In the bedroom, Abby was sitting cross legged in the middle of McGee's bed, rocking a fussy Gavin back and forth, humming what sounded like a song by Android Lust. He handed her the bottle and when she looked up at him, her eyes lit up.

And he felt it.

* * *

Ziva shook her head. "I cannot believe that even you, Tony, could get away with something like that without getting arrested."

"Believe it." Tony grinned at her impishly. "Besides, I wasn't completely naked."

"I still do not believe you." Ziva put her fork down and crossed her arms.

Tony simply continued grinning and enjoying his steak. They had been verbally sparring since he'd ordered his steak and requested it have a little 'moo' left in it. Ziva had shared some disturbing stories about Israeli restaurants that he was fairly sure she was making up, but was not brave enough to ask just in case they were true.

"Did you ever call Wendy back?"

He'd known that one was coming, although he'd thought she might make it until dessert before bringing it up. "I emailed her."

"Really." Ziva raised her eyebrows and waited for him to continue.

"Yes, really. Electronic communication is common in this day and age."

Ziva rolled her eyes and went back to eating her chicken Caesar salad.

"Enough about me, what about you?"

Ziva shrugged. "What about me, Tony?"

"I haven't heard you whispering furtively into your phone for awhile. The love train running a little slow lately?" Tony raised his eyebrows and waited for an answer.

"Has my love life ever been something I wanted to discuss with you?" Ziva queried.

Tony took a moment to think. "There's a first time for everything," he suggested with a smile.

"Not this." She shot him a withering glare.

It was kinda hot. "So no hot dates?"

"You are impossible." Ziva waved her fork in the air.

"Actually I'm adorable." Tony grinned.

"Definitely not the world I would have used."

"Charming?"

"Obnoxious."

"Ouch." Tony clasped his heart and pretended to look hurt. "That hurts, Ziva, that really hurts."

Ziva took a sip of her wine. "I am quite sure you will survive, Tony."

"You don't know that," Tony told her. "I could be psychologically wounded and need years of therapy."

"When do you think you will meet Wendy?" Ziva changed the subject back to Tony's love life, or lack thereof.

Tony shrugged and suddenly felt less talkative. "Sometime this week if she's free. I'd kinda just like to get it over with."

"You have not talked about her much," Ziva remarked.

"Probably not," Tony agreed. "Guys don't exactly dream of growing up and living the whole Runaway Bride thing, you know."

"Runaway bride?" Ziva frowned. "When did she run?"

He smirked. He swore half the time Ziva was playing dumb these days, pretending not to understand his idioms or movie references just to make him smile, and damn if it didn't work. "Runaway Bride is a movie featuring Julia Roberts playing a woman that kept leaving men at the altar."

"I thought she left you the night before?" Ziva was looking down at her salad, but he caught a ghost of a smile pass over her face.

Now he knew she was playing with him. "Not the point Ziva."

"What was the point exactly?"

Tony sighed. "That Wendy hasn't really been my favorite subject the past few years."

"Does that mean you are not going to tell me?" Ziva looked up and raised her eyebrows. "Because I can always get McGee to find out."

Tony flicked a green bean he had no intention of eating at her.

"You are such a child, Tony."

"Wendy used to say that too." Tony waved the waitress away when she started to approach them. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it without an audience or interruptions. "She was my high school music teacher."

"Really." Ziva said all that was needed to say with that one word and the intrigued look on her face. "I didn't realize you liked older women," she teased.

"She was only a year older than me," he protested. "It's not like she was a cougar."

"I thought you said they were turkey vultures."

"Sometimes they are." Tony frowned. "Hey! You weren't even there that day!"

Ziva grinned. "McGee keeps me well informed."

"I'll keep that in mind next time McSneaky wants me to keep a secret," Tony muttered. "Anyway, she was only filling in as a substitute for a few days, and we hit things off."

"Hmm." Ziva had put down her fork and was leaning forward, her chin in hand, elbow firmly on the table next to her plate.

"Last I heard she was teaching music to preschool kids." He leaned back in his chair. "So she's at least not playing Mrs. Robinson with teenagers."

That reference did go over Ziva's head, and she frowned, but didn't ask.

"We were very different," Tony continued, frowning a little to himself. "She was super responsible, never late for anything, always knew the right things to say."

"You do not always say the wrong things," Ziva told him quite honestly.

He had a very clever retort that he was about to deliver when the theme from Hawaii 5-0 began playing. Ziva frowned at him as he fished his cell phone out of his pocket. He frowned at the readout on the screen.

"What?" Ziva asked, waiting for him to answer.

"It's Wendy." Tony continued frowning at the phone. He'd really been hoping everything could be taken care of in nice impersonal emails.

Ziva kicked his chin under the table. "Answer it," she hissed.

He considered pretending he hadn't heard her, but he was pretty sure she'd kick him again, and he was pretty sure he already had a bruise developing on his shin. "Fine," he hissed back at her.

"Hello," Tony answered, hoping he sounded more casual than he felt.

"Tony?" Wendy's voice sounded surprised. "Wow, I didn't think you'd actually pick up."

"Why wouldn't I pick up?" Tony did his best to sound puzzled.

Wendy's laugh was throaty and echoed through the phone. "Nice try, Tony. You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

Ziva was doing her best to pretend to look uninterested, when in reality Tony knew she was dying to dive across the table and listen in.

"Sure I have. Wait until you see my beer belly and my bald spot."

"Right. And I'll show you my double chin and my buzz cut."

This time it was Tony who laughed. "You haven't changed a bit either."

"Not in the important ways anyway." Wendy paused. "So, we can meet up?"

"Yeah, sure." Tony waved off Ziva, who was practically halfway across the table trying to listen in to the phone call.

"You got plans tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night?" Tony was sure his voice squeaked a little. "That's quick."

"Yeah, well, I figure I'd better do it before you change your mind and wuss out on me."

"Hey, DiNozzo men do not wuss out," Tony protested, ignoring the hysterical laughter coming from Ziva.

"Whatever you say. Is that a yes?"

"It's not a no."

"Tony!"

"Fine." He couldn't help but smile. "Where do you want to meet?"

"How about that café we used to go to near the Monument? I drove by there the other day and saw that it's still open."

"That sounds good. Is seven too late for you?"

"Seven's good. I'll see you tomorrow, Tony."

"See ya, Wendy."

Ziva drummed her fingertips impatiently on the table as he hung up. "Well?" she demanded to know.

"We're meeting tomorrow night." Tony shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

"Did you know your left nostril flares when you lie," Ziva asked, crossing her arms.

"It does not!" Tony covered his nose. "And I'm not lying. It's not going to be a big deal. We'll meet, grab some dinner, she'll tell me what she wants and life will go on."

"If you say so." Ziva looked far from convinced.

"I say so."

But he wasn't convinced either.

* * *

Telling Beth her mother was dead was the hardest thing Abby had ever done. Every moment of looking into her big green eyes chipped away at Abby's heart.

She didn't know what she would have done without McGee. After they had put Gavin to bed, he had sat down on the couch next to her. With his arm around her shoulder and Beth on her lap, she had explained as best she could to the mute three year old that her mother wasn't coming back.

She had no idea if Beth understood anything she'd said. The little girl just stared at her and nodded or shook her head when asked questions, but showed no visible grief or fear. According to what Abby had looked up on the internet that was normal for her age, but it still left her feeling unsettled.

Nothing in all of her foster care classes could have prepared her for that conversation. If she hadn't felt McGee's hand squeezing her shoulder she was afraid she would have lost it. She wanted to scream and cry but Beth, Beth just looked confused.

The research told her to expect Beth to ask when her mommy would come back, like she hadn't heard the conversation. She wasn't developmentally advanced enough to understand that death was forever. That she might regress, might need to wear diapers again. That confusion was normal. That she might wonder who would take care of her. That she might cry at random times, that there might be nightmares.

Abby almost wished Beth would cry, just so she could see some kind of reaction. The silence, which after growing up with deaf parents hadn't bothered Abby in the least, now was almost more than she could bear.

If only she could see what was going on in Beth's head.

And then, they moved on. Abby supposed that was the worst part of death. No matter how painful the loss was, life kept going. Morning turned into day, day turned into night, and days passed the same way they had before. As if nothing had changed.

So after dropping the bombshell, Abby made dinner, a rice and tofu dish with raw baby carrots on the side. Beth happily ate all her carrots, dipping them into a tiny mound of ketchup on her plate. Tim admitted that the tofu and rice wasn't bad, although he still thought it needed meat. Abby slapped him playfully on the shoulder when he said it.

Normal.

After that, Abby went into her office and set up the pull out couch that would become Beth's bed while she stayed with her. She put on a set of sheets with pink flowers that someone had bought her once and she'd never used. She tucked Beth into bed and told her a story. Let her know that all she had to do was go into the next room and wake Abby or McGee up if she got scared.

Now Abby sat cross legged in the middle of her couch, arms wrapped around her knees, missing her mother more than she had in a long time.

"Abby?" McGee came out of the bathroom, releasing a cloud of steam, his hair damp and rumpled. "Are you okay?"

She raised her eyes and shook her head.

Without hesitation, McGee came over and sat down next to her on the couch, slipping one arm around her shoulders and pulling her against him.

Abby buried her face in the soft white t-shirt he was wearing. Her arm across his stomach, she breathed in the scent that was her Tim. She almost smiled when she realized he smelled like her almond soap. He was quite possibly one of the best people in her life.

McGee wrapped his other arm around her and rested his chin on her head. "Beth's gonna be okay."

"I know," she murmured, her voice slightly muffled against his chest. "It just sucks."

"It does," he agreed.

After a moment, Abby pulled away slightly so she could tip her face up towards his. "You know you're my best friend, right?" she asked, feeling a strong need to cement his position in her life.

"Right back atcha." His voice murmured, his breath warm on her forehead.

Abby lay her head back down on his chest, letting her fingertips draw patterns over his abs through his shirt. She frowned a little. Since when did McGee have abs? That was new. She finally settled down and placed her hands over the arm that was wrapped across her front. "What would I do without you, Tim?"

"You'd have Gibbs, Ziva, Ducky, maybe even Tony if you were desperate," he told her without missing a beat.

Abby giggled. "Tony can be a good listener sometimes."

"Maybe if your skirt isn't too short."

She leaned her head back and kissed him on the chin. "You know I love you, right Tim?"

He kissed her on the nose. "I know, Abby. I know."


	9. Chapter 9

_"I'm tripping on words_  
 _You've got my head spinning_  
 _I don't know where to go from here_ "*

*"You and Me" by Lifehouse

Tony started laughing as soon as he caught sight of the bleary eyed McGee who stumbled out of the elevator. "Long night?"

McGee blinked a couple times before his eyes were able to focus. "You have no idea."

"Abby keep you up late playing in the coffin?" Tony apparently couldn't resist asking.

McGee didn't see Ziva glaring at Tony over his head. He stumbled over to his desk, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other before he was able to collapse into his chair. "Gavin."

"Aw, McNanny have a hard night?"

He did catch Ziva throwing a magazine at Tony, who ducked out of the way laughing. "I told Abby he was just lulling us into a false sense of complacency."

"He woke up many times?" Ziva asked.

"Every two hours like clockwork. We tried switching off but he cried so hard if you stopped bouncing him it ended up being a two person job."

"Does Abby look as bad as you?" Tony wanted to know.

The head slap came at the same time as his last word. Gibbs strode towards his desk.

"Sorry, Boss."

Gibbs looked over at McGee, who knew he looked as terrible as he felt. He wasn't even sure he'd brushed his hair that morning. "Dinozzo?" Gibbs barked.

"Yes, Boss?" Tony perked up like an obedient puppy.

"Get McGee some coffee on the way to Christina Flynn's apartment."

Tony made a face at McGee. "Fine, boss."

It took McGee a minute to convince his body to move. He heaved himself out of his chair and grabbed his badge, gun, and bag. It was going to be a long day. His legs felt like jelly, his throat felt like sandpaper and his eyes were beginning to cross.

He needed that coffee pronto. He'd asked Abby if he could make some back at her apartment, but they'd been running late and she'd literally growled at him. He hadn't dared to ask if they could stop at a Starbucks or something on the way.

She was more than a little scary without any caffeine in her.

The walk to the elevator seemed twice as long as it had on the opposite trip. Tony bumped shoulders with him, which nearly knocked McGee to the floor.

"Cheer up, Probie, if you're good I'll let you search the underwear drawers."

Gibbs shook his head as the elevator doors closed. He was going to have to have a discussion with Tony about proper search warrant etiquette one of these days.

"Ziva." Gibbs waited until she was looking up at him before he continued. "Go see if Abby needs some help downstairs."

She nodded and her face softened.

"Oh, and Ziva?"

"Yes, Gibbs?" Ziva paused in straightening up her paperwork.

"You'd better bring her a Caf-Pow if you want to be let in." He gave her a half smile.

Ziva smiled back at him. "Good point."

Ten minutes later, holding a jumbo Caf-Pow in hand, Ziva paused at the door to Abby's lab. A printed sheet of paper was taped to the door proclaiming that all who desired to enter needed to call first. Towards the bottom, a warning was scrawled in black sharpie.

"Anyone who wakes the sleeping baby dies".

Smirking at the sign, Ziva pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Abby's number.

"Lab." Abby's voice was a little sharp and definitely lacking her usual good humor and warmth.

"It's Ziva. Can I come in?"

"Hang on." Ziva heard a muffled version of Abby's voice talking before she returned. "Yeah, come on in."

Ziva opened the door carefully and peered in. "Beth is all right?" she asked, just to be sure.

"She and Bert are coloring." Abby pointed to where the little girl was sprawled under a table with the stuffed hippo. Beth didn't smile, but she didn't run away either, which Ziva supposed was progress.

Ziva stepped in and held up her present. "Gibbs thought you might need this." She had bought the largest size Caf-Pow she could.

Abby grabbed the Caf-Pow like it was a lifeline. Ziva went to speak, but Abby held up one finger as she sucked on the straw. Abby looked like she had dressed in the dark. She was wearing a red plaid skirt with a turquoise t-shirt and two different colored knee socks.

Ziva's eyes widened as Abby drank and drank and then, with a slurping noise, finally let go of the straw and set the empty cup down on the table.

Abby burped loudly.

Beth giggled. Both women looked over at her, and she clapped her hands over her mouth.

"Excuse me," Abby said, looking a little chastised.

Ziva was holding back a grin. "Long night?"

"You have no idea." Abby motioned for Ziva to follow her into her office, where Gavin was sound asleep in the crib. "See that?" she whispered loudly.

Ziva nodded.

"Now, he's sleeping," Abby whispered. "Last night he seemed to think sleep was for pussies. I don't need a lot of sleep, Ziva, I really don't, but I do need SOME sleep."

Abby and Ziva walked back into the lab. "I'm sure things will be better tonight," Ziva said, trying to sound like she knew what she was talking about, which she didn't. For all she knew the coming night would be twice as bad as the previous.

She'd better not tell Abby that.

"Gibbs asked me to see if you needed some help."

Abby looked very grateful. "That would actually work out really well, because I've got like, a zillion things to do and very little time to do them in, plus I've only had one Caf-Pow today."

Ziva smiled. "Let that one settle for a bit and I'll go get you another one."

"Really?" Abby threw her arms around her. "You're the best, Ziva."

Ziva hugged her friend back, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Beth was watching them carefully from her corner of the room. "What would you like me to do?" she asked, extricating herself from Abby's octopus like grip.

Abby glanced around. "Well, Ducky just sent up some fiber traces he found in the victim's throat that I should probably get analyzed ASAP, plus I'm still running the DNA he found under her nails… you feel like playing pin the juvenile delinquent on the beer can?"

Ziva laughed. "Fingerprints, yes?"

"That would be great." Abby's smile was wide and unadulterated. "None of it will probably relate to the case, but I have to run them."

"Not a problem."

The two worked silently, although Abby kept throwing longing looks towards her speakers, no doubt missing having her music as background noise. After about an hour and many, many beer cans, Beth climbed out from under the table and walked over to Abby.

"Whatcha want, cutie pie?" Abby asked, resting her left hand on Beth's head and using her other hand to type one handed.

Beth tugged on her hand. When Abby looked down at her she made a sign.

"Oh!"

Ziva looked up to find Abby smiling sheepishly down at Beth.

"Beth has to go to the bathroom," she explained. "Keep an ear open for Gavin?"

Abby inclined her head towards her office, and Ziva nodded in answer. She watched Abby lead Beth out of the lab, towards the ladies room down the hall.

Ziva was scanning in what felt like the thousandth fingerprint she had taken into the computer when she heard a small whimper. She quickly finished what she was doing and peeked into Abby's office.

This time the whimper was louder, and she made her way into the room. Gavin was lying on his back in the crib, his face all screwed up and turning a bright red.

"Hello," Ziva said softly, and the baby turned to see who it was. She smiled at him and his unhappy face turned into a smile almost immediately.

What a sweetheart, she thought. She hesitated, considering if she should pick him up. He did not really know her, and it had been some time since she had held a baby.

Gavin made his dislike of her slow pace known and let out a little shriek.

She laughed freely, reaching into the crib and picking him up. Awkwardly folding him into her arms, she spoke to the little boy. "I am sorry, you obviously do not like being kept waiting."

The baby pushed one fist halfway into his mouth and gummed on it. Ziva smiled at the sight, remembering her cousin's little boy who used to suck his thumb.

"You need to let Abby and Tim get some sleep tonight, little one," she crooned, rocking the baby gently in her arms. "That was not very nice of you keeping them up all night."

Gavin smiled around his now slimy fist and kicked his feet.

"I suppose you probably need a diaper change, no?" Ziva looked around the room and her eyes rested on the black messenger bag covered in skulls with a bottle poking out the top. She smiled and moved towards the bag. "If you can put up with my fumbling, perhaps we can get this done before Abby comes back."

* * *

Abby and Beth were on their way back from the bathroom when the door to the stairs burst open and Gibbs came out. He paused when he caught sight of them and the door slammed behind him.

Abby felt Beth flinch at the loud noise, and she paused, unsure of how Beth was going to react to Gibbs presence. Abby was holding her hand, and there wasn't a desk to hide under, but it was hard to predict.

At times it was easy to forget the trauma Beth had experienced in her short life. She would play, giggle, smile like nothing bad had ever happened to her. Then just minutes later something small would happen and the little girl would be reduced to a shaking pair of pigtails in the most out of the way corner she could find.

Beth leaned backwards a little, and Abby was ready to grab her if she tried to run, when Gibbs reached into his pocket and pulled out a red lollypop.

Beth froze.

Gibbs crouched down and held out the lollypop. He stayed perfectly still for several moments while Abby watched Beth's little brain struggling with what she wanted to do.

Both the adults could see the emotions playing out in Beth's features, especially her bright eyes. Finally, Beth took a small step forward and let go of Abby's hand.

Abby watched, holding her breath, as Beth walked slowly the ten feet down the hallway towards Gibbs and finally accepted the candy from him.

Gibbs retracted his arm, still moving slowly, and smiled a gentle smile. "Has Abby been working hard?" he asked, his voice low.

Beth glanced back at her guardian, then looked back at him and nodded.

"Think if I asked nicely, she'd show me what she's found?"

Beth nodded again, and Gibbs slowly stood up. What happened next took Abby's breath away. Beth held out her free hand to the silver haired marine, and led him into the lab.

Abby stared at the empty hallway for a long time. She wondered if Gibbs had any idea what a huge moment had just passed. Then again, it was Gibbs, of course he knew. He'd come prepared with candy hadn't he?

She felt like a giant weight had been lifted from her chest, one she hadn't even realized she was carrying. If Beth was warming up to other people, that was a really good sign. Up until now, she'd really only been comfortable with Abby and McGee, and Abby knew she preferred McGee. She was just a means to McGee.

Abby couldn't help wondering if Beth's attachment was solely because McGee had been the one to find her, or if it was something else. Abby had known herself almost instantly after meeting McGee that he was trustworthy, maybe Beth could sense that too.

McGee had been amazing the night before. As the hours passed and Gavin refused to sleep, she'd been starting to get frantic, but he never stopped being her rock. Whenever Abby had started to feel desperate, he'd been there. Either for her to lean against when she could barely hold herself upright, or to walk Gavin himself.

He was going to make some kid an amazing dad someday.

She frowned a little at the thought. That would mean McGee finally finding a woman he was happy with, someone to settle down with. He deserved that, he really did, but she couldn't help feeling a little twinge in her heart as pictures flashed in her head of McGee and some woman having a baby together.

She wrinkled her nose. She did not like that thought one bit, and she wasn't about to think too hard about why.

Realizing that while she was standing there and reflecting, Gibbs was in her lab no doubt impatiently waiting for results, Abby scurried down the hall and into her lab.

Ziva was in her office, swaying back and forth with a familiar bundle in her arms. Abby didn't hear any hysterical crying, so she assumed Gavin was fine, probably just insisting on being held again.

Gibbs was leaning against a table. Beth was in his arms, happily crunching on her lollypop and examining his face. Gibbs had on one of those half-smiles he usually reserved for Abby, but in this case she was happy to share.

He looked up at her as she walked over to him. "Got anything for me, Abs?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Beth found the movement fascinating, and reached up with her free hand to smooth them back down. Gibbs stuck his tongue out at her and she giggled.

Abby watched the scene play out with amusement. Now that was her silver haired fox, the big teddy bear himself. "I'm still running the DNA from under her fingernails, but I can tell you it was male."

Gibbs said nothing, not that she expected him to say anything. He made silly faces at Beth, who kept giggling and crunching on her candy.

"Ducky found some fibers in her throat which I've been analyzing. They appear to be from some kind of black polyester thread. So far I haven't been able to narrow it down any further. Seriously, Gibbs, you would not believe how much polyester people wear." She rolled her eyes.

Ziva walked up behind Gibbs with Gavin in her arms. She made a stunned face at Abby when she saw Beth and Gibbs having such a fun time. Just then, Gibbs turned to look at her and she instantly put on her most innocent face.

Abby giggled.

"I've been running fingerprints off of the debris we found at the scene," Ziva said, trying to look as professional as possible. She handed the baby to Abby and pulled up a file on the computer. "So far, I matched two sets of prints to local juveniles in the system. Jason Matson and Artie Patterson. They both have multiple drunk and disorderlies as well and were jointly brought up on drug charges last year, but weren't convicted. I notified the local authorities and they are being questioned as we speak."

Gibbs nodded at her. "Good work, Ziva."

"What about me?" Abby asked, pouting.

"You don't have anything yet." He gave Beth a kiss on her forehead and set the little girl down on her feet.

"Does that mean no Caf-Pow?" Abby called plaintively after him.

* * *

Tony pulled up to the drive through window. "One large iced triple shot and a mocha frappe."

McGee turned to him in shock.

"Shut up, they taste good." A garbled voice told Tony the total and instructed him to pull up to the next window.

Five minutes later they were on their way to Christina Flynn's apartment and McGee was taking a big sip of the massive drink Tony had ordered for him. He nearly choked. "Holy cow, Tony, this thing could kill a small animal."

"It's a regular iced coffee with three shots of espresso in it," Tony told him with glee, obviously very proud of himself. "It's got as much caffeine as a medium Caf-Pow."

"You could have warned me," McGee muttered, taking a much more cautious second sip. "Speaking of Caf-Pows, I hope someone brought one to Abby if they want to get any work out of her today."

"Little guy really kept you both up, huh?"

McGee nodded. "He really is a happy baby, and he was perfectly happy as long as he was being held. The second we tried to put him down or dared to sit, he started screaming hysterically."

Tony snickered.

"I think we got two hours of sleep total, between the two of us." McGee took a larger sip of his drink, which suddenly didn't seem so strong. "If he does that again tonight I think Abby might change her mind about this whole foster kid thing."

"Doubtful," Tony told him with a degree of certainty in his voice. "She's as attached to those kids as the little girl is to you, McRip Van Winkle. If the dad comes back and she loses them, you might have to knock her up yourself."

McGee spit out the straw. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Tony darted around several slow moving cars in the always futile hope of getting to their destination faster. "You mark my words, Abby's biological clock is going to be ticking faster than Hugh Heffner's libido at a big photo shoot."

McGee shook his head. "Abby? The girl who talks about marriage like it's the plague? The girl who listens to music at ear deafening levels and puts up paintings of bullet wounds? I don't think so."

Tony shrugged. "You'll see."

"Hmmph." McGee frowned as he looked out the window at D.C.'s streets passing. If Abby hadn't given up her party girl ways after knowing her for all these years, what were the chances she'd want to change now?

Tony was just trying to freak him out. Yeah, that was it, McGee decided, biting his lip. Sure, Abby was enjoying her time with Beth and Gavin, but he had no doubt that she would breathe a deep breath of relief when they went back to their father.

Wouldn't she?

He glared at Tony. He really hated it when he made him doubt himself. Tony seemed to have a talent of being able to make others paranoid about things that weren't even previously so much as a thought.

"So," he said, deciding to turn the tables. "Ziva tells me a certain music teacher wants to get together with you."

Tony had to swerve sharply so as not hit the curb that was suddenly closer than it had been a second before. McGee was torn between worrying that Tony's driving was beginning to resemble Ziva's and being thrilled that he'd hit a nerve.

"Ziva needs to learn to keep a secret," he muttered.

McGee blinked innocently at him. "She didn't say it was a secret."

Tony frowned. "Crap, she probably told Abby too, didn't she?"

"If she didn't I will." McGee didn't see the slap to the back of his head coming. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Taunting your superior." Tony's voice had just a slight hint of a squeak to it.

McGee shrugged. It was worth it, head slap or not.

"We're meeting for drinks tomorrow."

McGee looked up, surprised that Tony was actually going to tell him.

"Guess she just can't stay away from the old DiNozzo charm."

Aha. That was why, he wanted to gloat. "More likely she has a nasty rash she needs to identify."

"Just for that," Tony told him, pulling into the parking lot of their victim's apartment building, "I'm going to make you do all the scut work on this."

McGee rolled his eyes. "You make me do that anyway."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

McGee followed Tony around to the super's apartment, where the landlord had left a key for them to use. The super looked exactly like a cliché plumber, mostly bald with a too tight wife-beater on and a pair of jeans that desperately needed to be pulled up.

"I heard that chick got dead or something." The man hung his thumbs in his jean pockets, pulling his pants terrifyingly further downward.

McGee exchanged looks with Tony. "Yeah, she was murdered."

"Too bad, she was kinda hot." He let out a burp.

"Thank you so much for all your help," Tony said, his voice dripping with syrupy sweetness as he steered McGee down the hallway and away from the creepy man.

"Too bad we can't arrest people on fashion crimes," Tony mused as they took the elevator to the third floor.

"If smells could kill, he'd already be in jail for murder." McGee shuddered just thinking about it.

They reached Christina Flynn's floor and walked down the hallway. Her apartment was the last on the left side.

Tony stared in horror at the apartment as they let themselves in using the key the landlord had provided. "Someone tossed the place."

"Hardly." McGee laughed, glancing around. "Sarah's apartment looks just like this."

"Your sister really must be a slob," Tony mused, taking a few steps inside, pushing aside a pair of discarded jeans that were on the floor.

"She's actually gotten a lot better." McGee smirked, thinking back. "Her dorm room in college could have been condemned."

"I didn't think women were able to be such slobs." Tony grimaced as he stepped further in. "Oh, gross," he murmured, looking at a dirty diaper sitting on one arm of the sofa. "I want hazard pay."

"Don't be such a pansy," McGee teased him, walking around the couch and looking around. Other than the clutter, the place really wasn't too dirty, probably because she hadn't lived there long enough to really let things go. McGee remembered how spotless Lieutenant Flynn's home had been and wondered if their different cleaning styles had played a part in the divorce.

There was a large stack of unopened mail on the kitchen table. McGee slid on a pair of gloves and began flipping through the letters while Tony moaned and groaned some more.

"Pansy! I am not a pansy. Just because I don't want to look at little bundles of human excrement does not mean I'm a pansy. Sheesh!" Tony squawked as he entered the kitchen. "I've seen less bugs with two week old bodies."

McGee tossed the unopened cable and power bills back on the table, same with bank statements. He'd seen those online. One envelope stuck out to him. It was personally addressed to the deceased, no return address, and it had a funny tear at the top where it looked like someone had tried to rip it in half, but couldn't get through all the layers.

He flipped it over, and the envelope had apparently already been opened. While Tony gave a dissertation on how long it takes for dirty dishes to get fuzzy, McGee opened up the letter and pulled out what was inside.

There was a single sheet of paper wrapped around a stack of 4x5 photographs. McGee frowned as he opened up the paper. The first picture appeared to be an image of Christina Flynn grocery shopping. He flipped to the second photo. Christina Flynn getting a coffee. The third, Christina Flynn getting dressed through her bedroom window.

"Tony," McGee called, holding up his bounty. "I think we've got a clue."

Tony walked over to him, a small piece of black plastic stuck to his arm.

McGee raised his eyebrows.

Tony held up his arm. "Found a mousetrap. I really hate the sticky ones."

Handing him the photos, McGee tried not to smirk. "Looks like our victim had a stalker."

"Yikes." Tony flipped through the photos. "You don't think these came from the private investigator the husband hired?"

McGee shook his head. "No, these weren't taken on a camera as advanced as the one he used. Besides, there's this too." He held up the paper that had been wrapped around the photos."

"'I'm watching you'," Tony read aloud. "Not terribly original, but it gets the job done. Okay, someone was taking a little too much interest in Christina Flynn. Bag these and let's see what else we can find."

While Tony sorted through the living/dining area, McGee found himself in the bedroom. He stared at the toddler bed and crib squashed off to the side, barely fitting in the room with the queen sized mattress and box spring Christina owned.

He tried to imagine Gavin and Beth spending weekends there with their mom. It was strange. They'd had this whole other life before he'd even known they existed, but somehow it didn't seem real, even after seeing both their homes.

Out of the corner of his eye, McGee spotted a small stuffed animal just poking out from under the toddler bed. He crouched down and pulled it out. The bunny was worn and faded, with just enough color left that you could tell it had been pink once. McGee held the bunny in his hands, feeling his body tense with emotions he couldn't let out, not there.

It was Beth's. Probably her favorite toy. He looked around the room. Instead of seeing potential evidence and analyzing the degree of a rush Christina Flynn probably left in, now he saw evidence of Gavin and Beth's previous life everywhere he looked. Toys, clothing, an old bottle that had rolled behind the bed, a dusty pacifier in a corner, tiny purple hair clips on the nightstand.

A sudden impulse drove him to dig through the piles until he found a cloth grocery bag. The first thing to go in was the bunny, then the purple hair clips. Several other stuffed animals were tangled in Beth's blankets, he took those too. He pulled open drawers. A hand crocheted blue baby blanket. Tiny jeans and t-shirts. Fuzzy sleepers and a soft ball.

Tony appeared in the doorway. "What are you doing, McGee?"

McGee paused and glanced up. "Packing."

He turned back to his searching but sensed that Tony hadn't moved. His partner could say whatever he wanted at that moment. It wasn't going to change his mind.

"Packing what?" Tony hadn't budged, was still leaning against the door frame, giving McGee a look that was equal parts confusion and intrigue.

"Beth and Gavin's stuff." McGee stopped for a minute and met the senior agent's gaze. "This isn't a crime scene. No one's going to complain if I take their clothes and stuff."

Tony held up his hands. "I didn't say anything."

* * *

McGee called Abby when they were almost back and asked her to bring Beth and Gavin up to the bullpen. He wouldn't say why, and she was kind of confused, but she agreed.

She had just fed Gavin, so she burped him and lured Beth out of the lab with the promise of a treat from the vending machines. She was going to have to serve some serious vegetables whenever they were at to her apartment if she kept filling the child with sugar the way she had been the past few days.

Gavin in one arm and Beth gripping her free hand firmly, Abby stepped off the elevator probably mere minutes after Tony and McGee had arrived back.

Beth tugged her hand out of Abby's and ran over to McGee's desk, where he was sitting facing away from them, leaning over some kind of bag.

"Hey Beth." McGee whirled around when she touched his shoulder lightly and swept her up into a tight embrace. "I missed you. Did you have fun with Abby this morning?" He set her back down on her feet and smiled at her.

She nodded and pointed to the overflowing bag behind him.

"I have a surprise for you," McGee told her, a delighted smile on his face.

Abby hung back a little, watching Beth and McGee interact. Every time she saw them together, it surprised her all over again how well the two had bonded. That little girl had decided that McGee was her savior, and Abby was not sure if it wasn't the other way around.

Gavin waved his arms and babbled, not willing to be let out of the exchange. McGee grinned up at him, giving the baby a happy wave. "I got stuff for you too, buddy."

Beth tugged on his sleeve and wiggled with excitement as McGee twirled his chair around and rooted around in the canvas tote, which had some kind of supermarket logo on it.

Just when the suspense was getting to both Abby and Beth alike, his hand emerged with a floppy, worn, almost pink stuffed bunny. He held it up triumphantly and beamed at Beth.

Beth froze, her eyes widening to nearly impossible amounts. She looked at McGee, her little mouth making a small "o" shape.

"Go ahead," he urged her, holding the bunny closer to her body.

With one finger, Beth gently stroked the bunny's ear and looked at McGee.

"Is he yours?" McGee asked gently, beginning to look a little uncertain. He looked up at Abby, who was watching the exchange carefully and in complete silence.

Beth nodded slowly, and hesitantly wrapped one hand around the bunny's ear and pulled the stuffed animal into her arms. She hugged it to her chest, never taking her eyes off McGee's face. After a few seconds, she tucked the bunny in one arm and held the other up to McGee, to be picked up.

When he pulled her up, she wrapped both arms around his neck, trapping the bunny between them as she squeezed him almost painfully. He patted her back gently and murmured in her ear, closing his eyes.

Abby turned to Tony, who along with Ziva had been watching the exchange unfold in uncharacteristic silence. "Where did he get that?" she asked.

"At Christina Flynn's apartment," Tony explained, shrugging at her bewildered expression. "He gathered up a bunch of stuff of theirs."

"None of it is evidence, is it?" Ziva asked from behind her desk.

Tony shook his head. "We took all the evidence we needed and logged it in. That stuff was just going to sit there until someone cleaned out the apartment anyway. Besides, I'm pretty sure if I'd tried to stop him McGee would have gone all Momma Bear on me."

Abby felt one side of her mouth lifting upwards at the image.

"Abby." Director Vance's voice came from the landing above them, where he had paused.

She put her best smile on and looked up at him. "Yes?"

"I need to talk to you." Vance frowned. "In my office." He strode back up the stairs.

"Yes, sir!" Abby grinned up at him. She left Beth where she was, hugging the stuffing out of McGee, but took Gavin with her, since he was in a good mood. Besides, having a sweet little baby in her arms couldn't help on the off chance that she was in trouble, right?

She opted for the elevator instead of the stairs. No need to lose what little was left of her energy running up a level. Gavin made a hilarious face when the elevator started moving, deciding that something very strange was going on. She hadn't noticed him do that before.

Abby was grinning at his expression when the elevator opened on the top floor, and she practically skipped over to the director's office. His secretary smiled at the baby and waved Abby in.

Director Vance was leaning against his desk, arms crossed, looking very serious. He turned to the door when Abby came in and his brow furrowed at the sight of Gavin.

"Is something wrong?" Abby walked over to stand near the conference table, directly into the Director's view.

"There's just something we need to discuss," Vance told her.

"Okay." Abby pulled out a chair and plopped down. "What do we need to discuss?"

"Frankly, what we need to discuss is this." Vance gestured at the baby.

"Gavin?" Abby frowned. "I don't understand."

Vance sighed. "Abby, I understand that you've taken over guardianship for these children for the time being, but you cannot keep using the lab as your own personal daycare."

She furrowed her brow.

"Do you have any idea what our insurance adjusters would say if they knew we were keeping children next to the noxious chemicals?" Vance tried to explain. "This is a safety issue."

"I keep the noxious chemicals on high shelves." Abby tried to smile.

He wasn't amused. "Abby, I understand that this all happened very fast, and you're still adjusting to the situation, which is why I haven't brought it up until now…" his voice trailed off.

Vance struggled to keep the serious expression on his face as Gavin waved his arms and gave him gummy smiles. Abby was blinking up at him with the most innocent expression on her face, which didn't fool him one bit. "Did you plan this?" he asked, gesturing towards the happy baby in her arms.

"Plan what?" Abby raised her eyebrows. "I already had him with me when you called me up."

She had a point there, but she was definitely milking the situation for all it had. "He's very distracting."

"He can't help it, he's just a baby." Abby twisted Gavin in her arms and planted a kiss on the baby's chubby cheek.

Vance shook his head. This was ridiculous. He had a feeling he was being conned, and he wasn't sure if the person doing to conning was Abby or the baby. "You can't keep bringing the kids to work with you."

Abby's face clouded. "But what about Beth? She barely lets me out of her sight and she freaks out if she doesn't know where McGee is."

"I'm sympathetic," Vance began to say, but Abby cut him off.

"She's a witness!"

Vance sighed. Abby was clinging by a string here. He gestured for her to continue.

"She saw or heard something that happened in that trailer," Abby continued. He could see her grip tightening on Gavin just the slightest bit. "What if she saw who killed her mother? She could be in danger!"

As much as he hated to admit it, Vance knew she had a point. The child was a potential witness, even if she was unwilling or unable to vocalize what had happened. In any other situation, they'd have the little girl in a safe house until they knew what they were dealing with.

Abby bit her lip and her eyes pleaded with him. He looked down at the beaming baby in her arms and sighed. "Let me have him," he instructed her, and he could tell she really wanted to tell him to stuff it, but she passed the baby over anyway.

Vance pulled Gavin up to his shoulder and let the baby grab at his nose. Jackie was never going to let him live this one down when she found out. The Director of NCIS, getting soft over a smiling baby boy. She'd be laughing already if she were here.

"They can stay," Vance said, holding up a hand when Abby let out a squeal and jumped out of the chair to her feet. "Under a couple conditions."

"Anything," Abby promised fervently.

"Number one, they stay in your office as much as possible, and if you work with anything even slightly dangerous you find someone else to watch them."

She nodded, her eyes bright and her whole body trembling with excitement.

"Number two, this is only temporary." Vance kissed Gavin on the cheek and passed him back to Abby, who tucked Gavin up near her face and hugged him. "As soon as this case is solved you're going to have to put these kids in daycare."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Abby squealed, throwing one arm around Vance and nearly knocking him over with her exuberant hug. "You won't regret this, I promise."

"I'd better not," he told her, smoothing his suit jacket and trying to look like the authoritative figure he was supposed to be, instead of the sap who had just agreed to break about twenty health and safety codes.

"Excuse me?" His secretary cracked the door and knocked. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Director."

"That's all right," he told her. "We were just finishing up here. What is it?"

She glanced at Abby nervously before turning back to him. "Gibbs just called. Lieutenant Flynn is downstairs."


	10. Chapter 10

" _The weightlessness and a lack of rest  
Away from you I'm in over my head"*_

*"Every Breath" by Boyce Avenue

"What do you think he's doing here?" Abby asked nervously, pacing in front of McGee's desk. Tony had escorted Lieutenant Flynn to an interrogation room not long after his arrival. Only ten minutes had passed, but it felt like it had been hours.

"He's probably sitting in a chair, staring at the table, or the mirror, waiting for Gibbs to come in." Beth had dozed off in his lap and McGee was deftly typing around her, looking up the last minute information Gibbs had asked him to locate.

Gavin was still stubbornly clinging to wakefulness, although not nearly as cheerful as he had been in the Director's office. Abby had him against her shoulder and he was pouting at the world around him as if he knew what was going on.

Maybe he did, Abby thought, frowning. At the very least, he was probably sensing her tension. Which meant she should really try and be less tense.

Yeah, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Where's he been?" Abby resumed her pacing, which at least seemed to be having the side benefit of lulling Gavin to sleep. She should remember this for the next time he was up half the night.

McGee began printing a few pages from Lieutenant Flynn's bank statement. "I don't know, Abby."

"What if he's the killer?" Abby's voice was reaching the squeaking point. "What if he wants the kids back? I'm not giving Beth and Gavin to a murderer!"

"Abby," McGee said calmly, picking up the papers and setting them to one side of his desk. She didn't pause, and he tried again, this time louder. "Abby!"

"What?" She stopped, biting her lip and probably looking as much a scared little girl as she felt at that exact moment.

"Gibbs is going to find out what happened." McGee didn't look away from her, just stared straight into her eyes. "He always does, right?"

Abby nodded.

Behind her, someone cleared their throat, and Abby turned to find Ziva (who she had completely forgotten was there) standing just to the left of her.

Ziva gave her a small smile. "Everyone wants Beth and Gavin to be all right, Abby. We are all on their side, remember?"

Abby nodded again. "Thank you," she whispered. That really was all she needed to hear, that she wasn't the only person concerned over the sudden reappearance of their father.

McGee pushed the papers he printed out in an empty folder and held them up. "Could you give these to Gibbs?" he asked Ziva, glancing down at his occupied lap.

"Of course." Ziva took the folder and turned to Abby. "If you do not mind my asking, what did the Director want?"

"Just to make sure I wasn't letting Beth play with the hydrochloric acid," Abby droned. When McGee gave her a pointed look, she sighed. "He said it's not a good idea for Beth and Gavin to be down in the lab with me."

Ziva waited patiently for her to continue.

"I convinced him that it was important to our case that we keep Beth close for now." Abby swallowed. "As soon as we solve the case I have to put them in daycare or something. If I still have them," she finished softly.

"Perhaps by then she will not be so fearful," Ziva suggested.

Abby wasn't really convinced. "Maybe."

Abby stole Tony's chair and pushed it over next to McGee. Sitting down, she gave Gavin a gentle bounce to make sure he was asleep now, or at least close enough to asleep to be content. "I don't like this," she said softly, staring at the ground.

"None of us do," Ziva said softly. She held up the folder in her hands and with a wry smile, walked away.

McGee watched Abby for a moment, translating the emotions as they spread over her face. "I'm going to order some lunch," he told her. It was past lunchtime actually, and not only was he starving, but Beth was sure to be hungry when she woke up.

Abby was biting her lip.

"I was thinking Chinese." McGee raised his eyebrows and waited for some kind of reaction. "Want me to order you some Veg Lo Mein?"

She shrugged. "That would be nice," she admitted, turning to look him in the eye.

"It's going to be okay." McGee answered her silent question while her eyes watched him, full of worry and confusion.

"You can't know that," she said finally, breaking eye contact and staring at the floor.

"Maybe not," McGee agreed, reaching over and touching her shoulder. "But I can do everything in my power to make it happen." His stomach rumbled suddenly, breaking through the tense energy in the room.

Abby leaned her head against his hand. "You're the best, McGee. Now go order the food before your stomach makes any more of those ominous noises."

* * *

Lieutenant Brian Flynn had closely cropped orangey-red hair and his face was liberally sprinkled with freckles. He sat stoically in the interrogation room, his face seemingly without any emotion. He looked every bit the soldier, staring impassively at either the wall or the mirror in front of him as he had been in the room for over an hour. He had hardly moved the entire time.

"You think he was involved, Boss?" Tony asked as Gibbs stared silently through the two way glass at the man.

Gibbs didn't so much as blink. "Could be," he said softly.

"How much longer are we gonna leave him in there to stew?"

"As long as it takes," Gibbs told him.

Tony checked his phone when it vibrated in his pocket. "McGee says that the private investigator Lieutenant Flynn hired called us back. Flynn fired him right after he received the photos of his wife and our mystery man. Guess he'd found what he was looking for."

Gibbs made a non-committal hum in the back of his throat as he continued observing the Lieutenant. There was so much you could tell about a man when you put him in a room all by himself and watched. Things that were so much more difficult to determine when you stepped through the door and began questioning him. The solitude, the silence, the apprehension, it all played a quiet and simple part in the interrogation process.

Truthfully, Gibbs wasn't sure if Lieutenant Flynn was involved in the death of his wife, but he knew it was more likely than it was not. An ex-wife with a drug habit and a new boyfriend, one who took off with your two small children across state lines, that was a lot for a man to take.

Especially one with military training. A man to whom loyalty and honor were two of the most important things in life. A man, who according to the people they had spoken to so far, loved his children very much.

He looked over when Ziva entered the observation room.

"McGee asked me to give you this," she said, handing him a thin manila folder. "He said it was the information you asked for."

Gibbs nodded silently, glancing briefly at the papers inside before closing the envelope.

"Abby is very worried," Ziva said to no one in particular.

Gibbs said nothing, simply nodded for Tony to follow him and made his way into the interrogation room. He sat down in the single chair across from Lieutenant Flynn, leaving Tony to lean against the wall in one corner.

"Good afternoon," he said to the Lieutenant, although it was closer to evening now. "I'm Special Agent Gibbs and this is Special Agent DiNozzo." He motioned to Tony, who had his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed at their suspect.

"I want to see my children."

Gibbs watched the man's face carefully, noticing the small crack in his armor when mentioning his kids. He filed that piece of information away silently. "We contacted you the second we found them."

A tiny twitch. "Where are they?"

"Safe," Gibbs said simply. He leaned forward. "Where have you been, Lieutenant Flynn?"

"Safe." The Lieutenant maintained steady eye contact. "I want to see my children," he repeated.

Gibbs ignored his last statement, pulling out a crime scene photograph of Christina Flynn's body and sliding it across the table casually. "How about your wife?"

"Ex-wife." Flynn glanced down at the photo briefly, his expression never changing.

"You don't seem surprised she's dead," Tony remarked from where he stood.

"I'm not."

"I'd be interested to know why." Gibbs leaned back in his chair, his expression never changing.

Flynn was silent.

"When was the last time you saw your wife?" Tony asked.

Flynn's nostrils flared. "Ex-wife."

"Whoops." Tony sounded as far from sorry as was possible.

Flynn sighed. "The last time I saw her was when she picked the kids up Wednesday afternoon. She was supposed to drop them both off at my house the next morning so I could bring them to the daycare center, but as I'm sure you both know, she never did that."

"Then what happened?" Gibbs prodded.

"Then I called the cops." Flynn's nostrils flared. "She took off with my kids, what else would I have done?"

Tony shrugged. "I don't know. Might make a man awful angry."

"Of course it made me angry." Flynn's voice was still low and steady. "But I didn't kill her, if that's what you're trying to imply."

Gibbs watched his expressions closely. "Where did you go after you left the police station?"

"I went to go look for my kids." Flynn glanced over at Tony. "And my ex-wife."

Tony opened his mouth, but Gibbs shook his head.

"You didn't trust the police to find them?"

Flynn gritted his teeth and watched Gibb's warily. "They didn't seem like they were taking it very seriously. Took my number down, said she was probably running late."

Gibbs found all this interesting. "They were worried enough to contact NCIS."

Flynn shrugged. "They didn't say anything to me about it."

"Where'd you go?" Gibbs asked. "You must have had some idea of where to look."

"Old friends." Flynn's face darkened. "I knew who Christina had turned to before."

"Old friends?" Gibbs repeated.

Flynn nodded. "Yeah, old friends." It was obvious by the tone in his voice he had no intention of expanding on the subject.

"Want to share with the class?" Tony walked up to the table.

"Not particularly, no."

"Your ex-wife is dead," Gibbs stated succinctly. "And the less you help us out, the more you look like a suspect."

"I didn't kill her." A vein in Lieutenant Flynn's forehead was beginning to pop out.

"I don't know." Tony shrugged. "Ex-wives can make you awful mad, right Boss?"

Gibbs shot Tony a scathing look.

Flynn took a deep breath and picked up the crime scene photo off the table. "What happened to her anyway?"

"Stabbed." Gibbs paused. "As for what else happened, we're still trying to get Beth to talk."

"Beth?" His head flew up. "Beth was there? My daughter was there?"

"We think so," Tony informed him. "Hasn't said a word since, but I imagine it's pretty traumatic to watch Daddy killing Mommy."

"I didn't kill her!" Lieutenant Flynn shot up out of the chair and slammed his fists down on the table.

Gibbs didn't flinch. "Then how about you provide us a DNA sample so we can rule you out as a suspect?"

Flynn laughed. "Yeah right. I'm not that stupid." He adjusted his chair and sat back down, leaning towards Gibbs. "I want a lawyer."

* * *

Gibbs and Tony stood side by side in the observation room, arms crossed identically, watching as Lieutenant Flynn spoke with his lawyer.

"I hate when they lawyer up," Tony complained. "It really ruins all the fun."

"It certainly puts somewhat of a damper on things."

Both men turned to see Ducky, sans bow tie at the moment in a pair of scrubs, standing in the doorway.

"You got something, Duck?" Gibbs asked.

The older man nodded. "I finished my autopsy on Christina Flynn and thought you would like to have the full report." He held up a sheaf of papers.

"I would." Gibbs took the papers from Ducky and flipped through them, scanning the information. "Anything surprising?"

"Not particularly," Ducky told him. "Mr. Palmer's observation proved correct, cause of death was, in fact, asphyxiation. Judging from the marks found and the fibers in her throat, I'd venture to guess that the assailant held a garment over her face, a coat perhaps."

"Stabbed and then smothered," Tony summarized. "Not a pleasant way to go."

"You wouldn't think so," Ducky agreed, his face remaining serious and utterly professional, "although the rising numbers in teen and pre-teen so-called 'choking games' as well as the practice of erotic asphyxiation might suggest otherwise. Why I once autopsied a twenty year old man who had-"

Gibbs cleared his throat.

"Er, of course." Ducky gave them a half smile. "Getting back to Mrs. Flynn, she showed no signs of recent sexual activity, although a recently inserted IUD suggests that it was not outside the realm of possibility."

Tony wrinkled his nose. "IUD's creep me out."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

"Not that it has anything to do with our case," Tony quickly added. "Did you find anything else, Ducky?"

"Indeed. The assailant apparently stabbed Ms. Flynn several times, then dragged her to the place we found her, where he killed her. I found a small area on her tibialis posterior which appeared to have some kind of allergic reaction. I sent a swab to the lab and hopefully Abby will be able to identify the substance when she gets back."

"Is she still upstairs with McGee?" Tony asked.

Ducky nodded. "I believe so."

Gibbs tucked the autopsy report under one arm. "I'll go let her know there's work waiting for her."

Tony and Ducky watched him leave the room, at which point Ducky turned to Tony. "How is Abigail doing today?"

Tony shrugged. "According to McGee this morning she was like a rabid porcupine when they left, something about the baby crying all night. She seemed okay when we got back. Someone must have gotten her a Caf-Pow."

"Ah." Ducky appeared amused. "The joys of parenthood."

"And reason number eight I'm glad I'm not one." Tony smirked.

"You never know, Anthony," Ducky said, eyeing Tony as if he were a specimen for him to identify. "That could always be why your former paramour decided to look you up after all these years."

Tony's mouth dropped open and he stared at Ducky in shock. If it hadn't been for the twinkle in the older man's eyes, he might have just had a heart attack on the spot. "You are a mean old Scot, Ducky."

* * *

When Gibbs entered the bullpen it was strangely quiet, and at first glance empty. But when his gaze made its way over to McGee's desk he found himself cracking a smile.

Abby was fast asleep next to McGee in a second office chair. She'd wrapped her arms around one of his and had her face smashed up against his shoulder. McGee had his feet up on his desk and his other arm was cradling Gavin (who was also sleeping) against his chest.

Gibbs took a moment to muse on the situation. Just a few weeks ago, he would have said there was no situation on this planet that would make the scene in front of him acceptable in his book. He knew everyone liked to use Rule 12 as an excuse, but just like there was a reason for it, there was also flexibility in the rule.

Abby and McGee didn't work directly with each other. Technically, Abby worked for Vance, Gibbs just got to use her. The higher ups wouldn't have a problem with a relationship between the two of them, but that didn't mean Gibbs didn't have misgivings about it.

Abby had never told him exactly why she and McGee had broken things off the first time, but Gibbs had no doubt there was a reason. And Abby being Abby, well, she hadn't always been known for making the greatest decisions when it came to guys.

He supposed if someone held a gun to his head he might admit he'd always thought they were good for each other. Seeing the way they took care of Gavin and Beth only reinforced his thoughts. He wasn't under any delusion that they were ready to be in a relationship now, but he also wasn't stupid enough to not realize that it might be coming.

They were both changing before his eyes, in equally unique and intriguing ways. Ducky was going to have a field day watching his two co-worker's transformations.

It really was amazing how much two small children could change two grown adult's lives.

"Beth?" he called softly, hoping she hadn't wandered off while the adults napped.

She poked her head out from under McGee's desk and waved. Climbing under McGee's legs to get out, she walked over to him and Gibb's scooped her up in his arms.

"What's everyone doing?" he asked.

She signed "sleeping".

"I bet you're the only one who got any sleep last night, huh?" Gibbs remarked, grinning down at her.

Beth shrugged.

Gibbs walked over to the couple and gave McGee's shoulder a shake. McGee startled a little, then blinked rapidly as he realized where he was.

"Uh, hey boss." McGee wiggled the shoulder Abby was snoozing on.

"I didn't set the couch on fire, Mom, I swear!" Abby sat straight up.

Gibbs smirked while McGee's shoulders shook in silent laughter.

Abby blinked, squinting up at Gibbs and looking completely lost. "Sorry, Gibbs. I guess I fell asleep."

Gibbs nodded. "Don't let me catch you doing it again. Ducky just sent some stuff to the lab for you to test."

"Right." Abby stood up, stretching and adjusting one pigtail, which was crooked. "Um, did you finish talking to Lieutenant Flynn?" She bit her lip, looking uncharacteristically unsure of herself.

"For now." Gibbs' gaze drifted to the little girl in his arms. "He's talking to his lawyer right now."

Abby nodded. "Oh."

"What did he have to say about the debit charges?" McGee asked. He had slowly pulled his feet off his desk (so as to not wake Gavin) and was checking his computer for any important alerts or emails.

"Didn't get to that part yet," Gibbs told him.

"Did he mention…?" Abby's voice trailed off and her eyes dropped from Gibb's face to the little girl in his arms.

"He asked about them."

Abby swallowed.

"I don't know yet, Abbs." Gibbs answered her unspoken question, wishing he could reassure her. He knew how scared she was, and he couldn't promise her things would be all right, no matter how much he might wish it.

"Okay." Abby took a deep breath. Gibbs could tell she was in a really vulnerable place at that moment, a side of Abby's personality people rarely got an opportunity to see.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have time. I got called down to the Navy Yard on an emergency." They had missed the ding of the elevator, but no one missed the woman who tripped on her way out, sending a stack of papers flying across the floor as she landed on her knees. "You're just going to have to get someone else to fill in for me, or the Johnsons are gonna have to wait!"

Amy Fowler flipped her cell phone shut and jammed it into her pocket, gathering up her papers from where she had conveniently landed on the floor next to them.

Abby's eyes widened as she caught sight of the disheveled looking woman who had just appeared in the bullpen. "Ms. Fowler! What are you doing here?"

Dressed in a brown corduroy skirt and an olive green v-neck sweater, Ms. Fowler pushed the papers back into her bag and stood up. Thick white tights, clunky brown shoes and the same messenger bag she'd been carrying the last time Abby had seen her completed the ensemble.

"Please, call me Amy. Ms. Fowler makes me sound like my great-aunt Gertrude." She pushed a handful of curly brown hair out of her face and smiled at her.

Abby nodded. "All right, Amy it is."

"I'm actually here because I received a call from Lieutenant Flynn's lawyer. I understand NCIS is holding him?" Amy shuffled through her bag as she spoke.

"We are." Gibbs felt his arms tighten instinctively around Beth.

Amy pulled a folder out of her bag and read the sticky note attached to the outside. "I apologize," she said, pushing a pair of black reading glasses onto her face. "I have twenty open case files right now and it can be hard to remember all the details without having my notes handy."

Gibbs waited silently.

"Here we go: I was told to inform a Special Agent Gibbs that Lieutenant Flynn will answer all of his questions if he is allowed to speak with the social worker in charge of his children's case beforehand." She looked up, the glasses slipping to the end of her nose. "You are Agent Gibbs, correct."

He nodded.

During the exchange, Abby slipped behind McGee and gripped his shoulder tightly. She was trying very hard not to freak out, but she had an urge to grab Beth and Gavin and run.

Twenty open cases? How could this woman possibly give so many different children enough attention? Abby knew there were good social workers and bad ones, what if she was a bad one? Sure, she had seemed nice enough the last time they met, but what if Abby was wrong?

"Abby." Gibbs voice penetrated her brain as she was internally freaking out.

She looked up to find him, Amy, and Beth all staring at her. "Um, what?"

Gibbs smiled at Beth a little, making Abby feel a little reassured. "I said, I'm going to take Amy down to interrogation. Ziva is waiting for you in your lab."

"Oh, okay." Abby swallowed. "Cool. I mean, great."

Gibbs set Beth down and ruffled her hair. "See you later, Beth."

Beth waved as he and Amy headed towards the elevators.

McGee was looking up at Abby. "Abby? You okay?"

She shook her head, then nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be fine."

"You want me to keep Gavin up here?" he offered.

"Nah, he's gonna be hungry again soon." As much as she hated to disturb him, she carefully scooped Gavin up from McGee's chest. He let out a little whimper, but quieted when she tucked him against her shoulder. "Shhh," she murmured.

Beth crawled back under McGee's desk and came out clutching her bunny in one hand.

"You ready?" Abby asked her, and the little girl nodded.

* * *

Gibbs and Tony watched as Ms. Fowler sat down across the table from Lieutenant Flynn in the interrogation room and talked to him. The lieutenant's lawyer didn't seem concerned, and he leaned back while the two talked.

Lieutenant Flynn seemed to be very animated.

"What do you think he's talking about?" Tony mused out loud.

"I think he probably wants to know if his children are all right."

"Oh." Tony let out a nervous laugh. "Right, Boss. Of course he is."

Gibbs crossed his arms and watched the exchange closely. Lieutenant Flynn began the conversation very tense, a vein throbbing in his forehead, but whatever Ms. Fowler was telling him seemed to be reassuring him. He'd told her not to give the Lieutenant any specific details about Abby, but that she could tell him all she wanted about Abby's qualifications as a foster parent, and how attached the kids were to her.

Lieutenant Flynn was a very reasonable suspect. He had motive, means, and Gibbs doubted he had an airtight alibi. Despite that fact, there was a small part of him that really wanted Lieutenant Flynn to be innocent. Having got to know both Gavin and Beth over the past few days was giving him a completely unique outlook to this case.

The loss of their mother was going to affect them a lot. But if their father had done it? That had the potential to screw up the rest of their lives.

Tony cleared his throat, and Gibbs realized more time had passed than he had been conscious of. Lieutenant Flynn seemed much more relaxed, and Ms. Fowler was gathering up her papers.

Gibbs handed Tony the folder containing Flynn's banking records. "Here, you go talk to him."

"You sure, Boss?" Tony accepted the folder hesitantly.

Gibbs nodded. It was better for Tony to be the one Flynn talked to now. Not only could Gibbs remain the "bad guy" in all of this, but Tony was approaching things from a more neutral ground.

Some days rule number ten was harder to apply than others.

Tony had a little bounce in his step as he entered the interrogation room. Sometimes this really was the best part of his job, screwing with the suspects. He figured Gibbs was probably just letting him handle the interview so he could escort Ms. Amy Fowler out of the building, but no matter the reason, he was going to enjoy himself.

He nodded politely at Ms. Fowler as she exited the room. She looked like she might have a decent body under the crazy hair and the crazier clothes, but it was hard to tell.

Besides, he had bigger things to think about at that exact moment.

Plopping eagerly in the chair recently vacated by Ms. Fowler, Tony grinned across the table at Lieutenant Flynn and his lawyer.

The lawyer, a tiny pug nosed man, let out a deep breath. "Against my recommendations, my client says he will tell you whatever NCIS wants to know now that he knows his children are in capable hands."

"Oh they are." Tony smirked at the nasal tone of the lawyer's voice. "Does that mean we can ditch the chaperone?"

The lawyer glared over his little pert nose at Tony, but Flynn leaned towards him and whispered in his ear. "Fine. All right then, I will go watch in the observation room."

Tony waited until the lawyer had left. "So, where were you when your ex-wife was murdered?" No reason to pussyfoot around.

"That depends on when exactly she was murdered," Flynn fired back.

"Touché." Tony folded his hands on the table in front of him. "How about this, where were you Wednesday night, when your children were with their mother?"

"Had a beer with some friends around eight. Home by ten. Went straight to bed."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Straight to bed?"

Flynn shrugged. "I only get one full night of sleep a week. Baby, remember?"

"You have friends that can corroborate that?"

"Probably. I can give you names."

"Good. I want them. Numbers too." Tony slid a notepad across the table and pulled a pen out of a pocket in his suit jacket.

Flynn scribbled on the notepad for a minute, then passed it back to Tony.

"Now I want to know every move you made starting when you left the police station Thursday morning," Tony told him.

Flynn sighed. "I went back to Christina's apartment. Knocked on the door a few times. I even tried to pick the lock with a credit card but it just broke in half."

"Credit card?" Tony snorted. "Rookie mistake." A rookie mistake he himself had done no less than a dozen times in his lifetime, but that wasn't something Lieutenant Flynn needed to know.

"Yeah, well, after that I knocked on a few doors to see if anyone had seen anything. Like I said, the police didn't sound like they were going to act on it, so I figured I'd better do some investigating of my own."

"Find out anything?"

Flynn took a deep breath. "Some fat guy in a wife beater told me he'd seen her leaving late the night before with a bunch of bags and both the kids. Said he'd offered to help her carry them, but she acted really freaked out and wouldn't let him."

"So you guessed where she had gone and went to get revenge."

Flynn gritted his teeth. "I didn't kill her!"

"But you did go to Vermont." Tony pulled out a sheet of paper and placed it in front of Lieutenant Flynn. "You stopped for gas just before Pittsfield Massachusetts. You used your debit card. It's a small station, they just completed the transaction this morning."

Flynn stared at the paper in front of him. Tony held back the satisfied smile that wanted to spread over his face. He had him right where he wanted him.

"You don't have anything." Flynn leaned back, pushing the paper forward. "You're just hoping I'll screw up and say something incriminating."

Or, maybe he didn't. "We have more evidence that says you did it than otherwise," he stated, realizing that things were going downhill, and fast. "You had motive, means, an opportunity."

"And you've got nothing." Flynn smirked. "Besides, as soon as you talk to the owner of that service station, you'll know I never even made it to Vermont. I blew a tire in the parking lot and spent three hours waiting for AAA to come pick me up. The mechanics found a problem when they went to replace the tire, and the owner of the station offered to let me stay in their spare room for the weekend." Flynn's smile was just devious enough to give Tony the creeps. "Airtight alibi. You can't hold me anymore."

And the worst part was. Tony knew he was right.

* * *

Tony ran into Ziva in the hallway outside the interrogation room. He closed the door behind him firmly and found her waiting patiently with her hands behind her back.

"Well?" Ziva asked.

"If his alibi checks out we can't hold him anymore."

"He has an alibi?"

Tony nodded, leaning against the wall and running a hand through his hair. "I still think he knows more than he's telling us, but he couldn't have killed his wife."

Ziva crossed her arms. "Abby is not going to be happy."

"I don't know." Tony shrugged. "If he didn't do it, the kids get their father back."

"But we cannot guarantee that he didn't have something to do with it," Ziva protested. "Abby is not going to be happy without absolute proof."

True, very true. Tony pushed himself away from the wall thinking about the scared little girl down in Abby's lab.

Neither was he.


	11. Chapter 11

_"I don't know why I'm scared, I've been here before  
Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all."*_

*"One and Only" by Adele

"Come on," Abby murmured, rocking Gavin back and forth. He'd slept for about ten minutes after having his last bottle and had been crying on and off ever since. His eyes were drooping, he kept yawning, but every time he dozed off Abby had made the mistake of trying to put him down so she could get back to work.

At which point he would wake up and start screaming to be held.

Ziva had tried to help, but Gavin steadfastly refused to calm down for anyone but Abby. She would have felt flattered, if she hadn't been feeling so frazzled.

By the time Gibbs knocked on the door to the lab, Abby had sent Ziva upstairs to work. Someone might as well get some work done. She'd finished running all the prints on the beer cans, and there really wasn't anything else for Ziva to do. The rest needed Abby's full attention, and she couldn't give it when she couldn't even have an arm free to type with.

Frustrated, Abby didn't even turn around, she simply hit the button on her remote control to open the door.

"Hey, Abbs." Gibb's voice was like a balm washing over her, telling her that everything would be all right.

She turned around and buried her face in his chest. "Hey, Gibbs," she murmured, her voice muffled by his shirt. Gibbs put his arms around her and gave her a hug.

"You okay?" Dumb question, but he said it so sincerely that she couldn't feel annoyed.

"Nope."

"Well, Ms. Fowler's upstairs in the conference room. She wants to talk to you before she leaves."

Abby wrinkled her nose and pulled away from him. "Do I have to?"

"Yeah." Gibbs took Gavin out of her arms and nodded towards the door. "I'll watch the kids for you."

Abby frowned. "I wonder what she wants."

Gibbs glanced down at Gavin then back at her with a 'duh' expression on his face.

"Oh." Abby adjusted her shirt. "Um, I'd better tell Beth where I'm going."

She approached the little girl slowly, not wanting to leave. She was terrified that Ms. Fowler was going to tell her that Lieutenant Flynn was taking Beth and Gavin home with him. She knew he was their father, but it just didn't feel right. There was no way any of them could trust what he had to say, not yet.

It was too fast.

Beth was playing with the ant squishing app Abby had shown her just a few days before on her iPad. She had gotten pretty good at the game, far surpassing Abby's high score. Abby wasn't sure if she was proud or afraid.

"Hey." Abby crouched down next to the desk chair. "I need to go upstairs and talk to someone."

Beth nodded and started to slide out of the chair.

"Just me, Beth." Abby smiled. "Gibbs came down to play with you and your brother."

Beth finished sliding out of the chair and peered around Abby. Her eyes lit up when she saw Gibbs.

Abby laughed. "Figures, Gibbs charms all the ladies, huh Miss Beth?"

Beth signed  _silver haired fox_  and Abby nodded. "Yeah, our silver haired fox. I'll see you in a few minutes, okay?"

Beth nodded.

Abby felt like she was walking to the dungeon in one of the old video games McGee used to try and get her to play. After the experience she'd had with the social worker who did her home study, she'd been left feeling unusually unsure of herself. Abby liked who she was, she really did, but when you came up against a strong prejudice just because of the way you look, it still hurt.

Ms. Fowler, or Amy rather, had seemed nice enough when she'd signed temporary custody over to her, but that didn't mean anything. She could still decide to take Beth and Gavin away and give them to their dad, or put them in another foster home.

Abby had no control, and she hated it.

Sure, she knew the foster care thing was temporary. Deep down, she was praying that Lieutenant Flynn was 100% innocent and Beth and Gavin could go back to their father. The only problem was, they didn't know if that was true. He might have killed their mother.

He might have killed their mother.

Abby couldn't stop thinking about that. Sure, she'd held people's lives in her hands before, when she was processing evidence that would change someone's life for better or worse. That didn't even compare to the feeling she had right now. It wasn't just about one person victim, it was about those two children downstairs in her lab.

The way someone felt about her could change their lives forever, and that terrified her.

Abby walked slowly up the stairs, taking her time with each step. When she finally reached the right floor, she paused, biting her lip. It had to be okay.

Right?

_Stop being such a baby, Abby,_  she told herself. You've faced way scarier people. You can handle one social worker.

Determined to work things out, Abby headed towards the conference room, where she found Ms. Amy Fowler desperately dabbing at a giant wet spot in the middle of her blouse.

"I'm such a klutz," Amy whined when she caught sight of Abby.

Abby walked over to her. "What happened?"

"I dumped half a cup of coffee down my shirt." Amy let out a huff and tossed the paper napkins onto the conference table. "I give up. I'm going home after this anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Abby tried to smile encouragingly but she had a feeling she was failing, miserably. She just wanted to scream and demand that Amy get to the point already.

"Agent Gibbs says you're doing well with Gavin and Beth."

Abby nodded. "Yeah, we're doing good. I'm learning to live with a lot less sleep."

Amy chuckled. "That's normal. Is Beth still not talking?"

"Nope, not a word. I've been teaching her some words in sign language though."

"Really?" Amy grabbed a notebook and jotted some things down. "You know sign language?"

"Yeah, fluently. My parents were both deaf."

"Interesting." Amy glanced up. "She seems okay communicating that way?"

"Yeah."

"How's she doing with other people? Is she still clinging to your co-worker?"

"McGee? Well, he's still her favorite person, but she's slowly branching out. She gets nervous if people show up without announcing themselves, but even that seems a little better today."

Amy was still scribbling down notes. "Excellent. I'm glad to hear that. She's been through a lot and I know it will take time, but I'm glad she's making progress already. It sounds like you're doing a good job."

"Thanks." Abby actually blushed a little. She hadn't been expecting to hear that.

"Do you have any concerns you'd like me to address before I leave?"

Abby's head snapped up. "Uh, yeah. If you can take the time."

"No problem." Amy smiled at her and pulled out a chair for herself. "This is my last appointment for the day, and I don't have any pressing plans other than to take off these shoes and lay on the couch like a slug." She plopped down in the chair. "What's on your mind?"

Abby sat down gingerly beside her. "Well, I was wondering about Lieutenant Flynn."

"Oh." Amy frowned. "I can't really talk about what we discussed earlier."

"I didn't expect that," Abby hurried to explain. "I just wondered if he was going to be able to take the kids back. I mean, soon."

"Oh. Well I can tell you it is most definitely on Mr. Flynn's agenda. He desires to have his children back as soon as possible."

"But he could be a murderer!" Abby blurted out, then clapped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment.

Amy cracked a smile. "I understand your apprehension, but he is their father and he does have legal rights, despite his status as a person of interest in your investigation."

"So, he can get them back."

Amy smoothed her hair out of her eyes. "In a nutshell, yes. But that all depends on him not being charged with anything, being released, and filing with the court. The good news is, this all takes time. Even if he was released today with no charges, the quickest he could get before a judge would be a week or so."

"A week," Abby repeated, biting her lip.

Amy nodded. "If your team truly believes Lieutenant Flynn killed his wife, I hope you have enough evidence to arrest him on. Suspicion alone isn't enough for the DSS to refuse custody."

Somewhat resigned, Abby nodded. "Okay, I can work with that I guess." It wasn't the complete reassurance she had wanted but neither was it the imminent removal she had feared.

"You're doing a good thing." Amy leaned back in her chair. "Being a foster parent is tough enough normal, and you're dealing with all the complications of a murder case on top of it all. I'm actually kinda impressed."

"Really?" Abby couldn't help but feel flattered.

"Really." Amy smiled. "Just keep doing what you're doing and remember, the end goal is to reunite families when at all possible."

Feeling a little chastised, Abby took a deep breath. "I do know that. And it is what I want, honest. You know, as long as their father isn't a murderer, of course."

Amy laughed. "Deal." Standing up, she extended a hand to Abby. "It was nice seeing you again, Ms. Scuito."

"Right back atcha, Ms. Fowler." Abby shook Amy's hand and watched as she left.

McGee appeared in the room almost immediately. "How did it go? Are you okay?"

Abby smiled a little. Sometimes McGee reminded her of an over-eager little puppy, all full of energy and so desperate to please.

Maybe that was why she loved him so much.

Abby felt her stomach tighten as the thought flashed through her brain and she chastised herself for it. Of course she loved McGee, she'd been saying that for years.

So why did it feel different now?

Abby forced her brain back to the matter at hand. She had hesitated in answering McGee's questions and he was looking very nervous now. "It went all right. And I'm fine."

"Really?" McGee stepped directly in front of her and searched her eyes.

"Really," Abby said honestly. The talk with Ms. Fowler hadn't necessarily gone the way she'd wanted it to, but she could recognize that it had gone very well considering the circumstances.

McGee gave her a crooked grin. "Yeah? Okay, good. What did she say?"

"She said even if he filed tomorrow he couldn't get in front of a judge until next week, at least." Abby took a deep breath. "So I really hope Tony is down there picking his brain for lots of good information."

McGee's face sobered and Abby felt her stomach lurch. "What?"

He held up his phone. "Tony texted me a couple minutes ago."

"What?" Abby squawked when he paused.

"We don't have any evidence," McGee said softly. "And his alibi checks out."

"No." Abby crossed her arms. "You have got to be kidding me."

He looked apologetic. "They have to let him go."

Abby swore under her breath and McGee looked at her in shock. Abby never swore, but somehow it seemed appropriate at that moment.

"We're going to get him."

"You can't promise that." Abby had her hands clenched into tight fists. She really, really wanted to hit someone. Not McGee, just someone. Maybe Tony if he got in her way.

"Gibbs." McGee said the word with great emphasis. "You know Gibbs is not going to let this go until he finds out who killed Christina Flynn. You know that."

Abby relaxed her fists and flung her arms around McGee's middle. "I know," she mumbled, her voice muffled against his chest.

McGee's arms came around her gingerly.  _Warm and safe_ , Abby thought as she closed her eyes.

McGee always made her feel warm and safe.

* * *

McGee accompanied Abby back down to the lab, probably to make sure she didn't stop off at some point and beat someone up in interrogation. Which she wasn't completely sure was a bad idea.

She didn't mind him following her. She knew he was just trying to make sure she was okay, and it was sweet. The elevator ride was quiet, McGee glancing nervously at her as she pondered what she was going to do now.

Abby decided to be wild and crazy and not announce herself before walking into the lab. Beth really was getting better about that. Hopefully she'd be so happy to see McGee that she wouldn't get scared. Besides, she was with Gibbs, and who didn't feel all safe and secure when they were with him?

"Um, hi?" Abby raised her eyebrows at the scene before her.

Gibbs was sitting on the floor in the middle of the lab. Gavin was asleep on a blanket next to him, and he and Beth were using Sharpies to create a large drawing on a piece of poster board.

"Hey, Abbs," Gibbs said, barely glancing up. "How'd the talk go?"

"Fine." Abby stared in horror.

Beth leapt up when she spotted McGee and ran over to him. Abby snatched the blue Sharpie out of her hand before it could hit McGee's ear.

Abby re-capped the marker and shook her head. Crossing her arms, she stared down at Gibbs. "Gibbs, you do know these are permanent markers, right?"

His head shot up and the look on his face said it all.

Well, that and the red scribble on his right cheek. "Oh my… Gibbs!" Abby started to giggle.

"How permanent?" he asked.

"Um, a couple days?"

McGee had his hand over his mouth and looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. He also looked like he was a little afraid Gibbs was going to hurt him for laughing, or at least that was Abby's theory as to why he was holding Beth in front of him like a shield.

"Beth, honey," Abby asked gently. "Why did you draw on Gibbs' face?"

Beth shrugged.

"Better question," McGee said softly, "why did Gibbs let her?"

Gibbs glared at him and Abby giggled again.

"Hey Beth?" McGee crouched down. "What did you draw on Gibbs?"

Beth poked a tiny finger at her lips.

McGee frowned. "Lips?"

She shook her head and puckered her lips, then touched her finger to his cheek.

"A kiss?"

Beth nodded.

"Aww." Abby grinned down at Gibbs. "She gave you a kiss."

Gibbs appeared to be struggling between laughing and growling. Climbing to his feet with a slight groan, he settled for shooting McGee a glare. "Why don't you guys just head on home. There's nothing pressing that needs to get done."

"I still need to get started on what Ducky sent up."

"Just run the sample through and go home while it's scanning."

Abby stared at Gibbs as if he'd suggested she bleach her hair blonde and wear khakis to work. "Gibbs, you cannot just leave a mass spectrometer running without supervision. That's my baby. You don't leave babies alone overnight."

Beth tilted her head and signed  _baby_  to Gibbs.

Gibbs laughed. "Different kind of baby."

"Gibbs!" Abby complained.

"Just start it first thing in the morning," he told her. "Go home. Get some sleep. Feed your little budding artist."

McGee coughed, no doubt still trying to cover up his laughter.

Abby looked around her lab forlornly, torn between wanting to go home and relax and doing her job which she loved very much.

"Go." Gibbs kissed her on the cheek. "I've got to go…find some soap or something."

* * *

Abby was in the shower when McGee's cell phone rang. They had been back at her apartment for a couple hours at that point. Beth was sound asleep in her room, and he was relaxing on the couch with Gavin, who had just drunk a bottle and was resisting sleep like a champ.

He shifted Gavin to his other arm and pulled his phone from his pocket. "Hey Mom," he said softly.

"Timothy McGee, why haven't you called me back? I left you three messages."

McGee made a face. "I know, Mom, I'm sorry. We've had a really tough case and I just haven't had a free moment," he told her honestly as Gavin chewed on a fist and stared up at him.

"I hope that boss of yours isn't working you too hard."

He couldn't help the smile that spread over his face. "Mom, you do realize that I'm thirty-four, right?"

"I'm still your mother. I worry."

He laughed a little then. "I know you do. Shouldn't you worry a little less about me and a little more about Sarah?" He wasn't above passing the worry stick along to his little sister.

"Ugh, that Sarah." He could almost hear his mother roll her eyes over the line. "I've gotten quite enough gray hairs over that girl already, don't you think?"

"Probably," McGee murmured, watching Gavin yawn.

"…are you even listening to me?"

With a start, McGee realized that he had not, in fact, been listing to her and had apparently missed something important while he watched Gavin squirm around in his arms.

"Sorry," he murmured. "What were you saying?"

"I was saying how happy I am that you and your father seem to be working through your issues."

"I'm happy about that too, Mom." No matter how strained the relationship had been, his father was still his father. McGee had never stopped wishing they could have had some kind of a normal relationship.

"He said that he emailed you?"

McGee smiled, remembering the contents of the email he had received just a few days before, and all that had transpired since. "Yeah. He said you want grandkids."

"Oh that man," he heard her muttering under her breath. "I have two full grown children and I love babies, of course I want grandkids. He didn't offer to arrange your marriage or anything, did he?"

"Nah."

"Oh good." She sighed. "Your father never did learn the fine art of subtlety. For example, I might have just asked if you had found yourself a nice girl yet."

McGee was smiling at his mother's statement when Abby came out of the bathroom. Wrapped in a fluffy black bathrobe, her hair wet and curling as it hung over her shoulders, she glanced curiously at the phone in his hand.

"Timothy?"

McGee swallowed. "Yeah, I'm here, Mom."

Abby beamed when she heard him say "mom" and disappeared into her office, probably to check on Beth.

Beth. The sides of McGee's mouth curled up. "Actually Mom, I have met a really sweet girl recently. Yeah, she's got big green eyes and the cutest strawberry blond curls." He knew he should feel guilty, but this was way too much fun.

"You met a girl?" Joanna McGee's voice climbed a few notes. "When did this happen? Is it serious?"

"I just met her a couple days ago," McGee told her, tickling Gavin's bare foot. "She seems to like me though."

Abby chose this moment to come out of the office and sat down cross legged on the couch next to him. Elbow on knee, chin propped up in her hand, she watched him and blatantly listened in to the conversation.

McGee listened as his mother let out another squeal. "That's just wonderful, Timothy! I thought you were never going to get over that Goth girl from work you dated."

Abby crooked her eyebrows and McGee blushed. Apparently he had the volume up high enough for her to have heard that one. Oops.

"Mom," he murmured, "that was a long time ago that I dated Abby."

"Well you still talk about her all the time."

McGee silently cursed the fact that he had the volume that high as Abby laughed so hard she nearly fell off the couch.

Gavin thought it was funny too, and beamed his gummy smile at the two of them, letting his saliva-laden fist fall out of his mouth.

McGee was just about to confess to his mother that his "girlfriend" was in fact three years old, just to get the subject changed, when Gavin let out a loud succession of single syllable babbles.

"Timothy? Was that a baby?"

Busted.

"Um, yeah, Mom. That was a baby."

Abby laughed again at his expression and bounced off the couch, heading for the kitchen.

McGee spent the next twenty or so minutes explaining who Gavin and Beth were to his mother, confessing that Beth was the "girl" he'd been talking about earlier, and enduring a little good natured ribbing when she found out that he'd been staying at Abby's house.

When he finally managed to get off the phone, after promising to email his father back and at least consider making his mother a grandmother before she was "too old to enjoy it", McGee was exhausted.

* * *

It was weird. The previous night, between feeding Gavin, changing Gavin, and walking Gavin, neither of them had spent much time in the bed at all, let alone together. But tonight Gavin was sound asleep, and they were alone.

Abby didn't seem to be having any issues with their sleeping arrangements, McGee noted with a frown. She was curled on her side, facing him, breathing the deep breaths he knew would turn into soft snores pretty soon.

Turning onto his back, he stared at the ceiling. The street lights outside cast just enough of a glow on the room for shadows to flit across the room. He wiggled his fingers to watch the shadows move, then berated himself for acting like a toddler.

Maybe it was his mom's phone call. Sure, he'd carried a torch for Abby a long time after they broke up, but the past couple years he had finally been able to move on. They were friends. That was enough for him.

Wasn't it?

Abby made a noise in her sleep and rolled closer to him. McGee held his breath. It should have been so awkward.

But it wasn't.

Frankly, it felt all too right. He turned to watch her chest move up and down as she breathed, limbs sprawled like a spider across the bed. He should resent the intrusion. He should want to be home, in his own bed.

It had been almost two years since the day McGee had vowed to stop mooning over Abby like a sap. More than enough time to put all those leftover feelings away. Sure, sometimes he got a little possessive when she was dating, but only because he didn't want to see her hurt.

Abby deserved so much. She was so kindhearted, so honest and selfless. McGee had no doubt in his mind that if he ever really needed her that she would be there, no questions asked, no matter what. He'd seen her literally give the shirt off her back to someone once.

He actually felt relieved when he heard Gavin stirring. Scooping up the baby before Abby could be disturbed, he changed Gavin's diaper expertly and headed into the kitchen to fix a bottle.

Sarah would be laughing her head off if she could see him now, McGee thought to himself as he measured out the formula. He'd gotten a text message the day before that said, "See any good poop lately?" She thought this was hilarious. Her big brother playing house.

"This time last week I was playing  _Call of Duty_  while drinking beer and eating Doritos," McGee told Gavin. "Living the nerdy bachelor dream."

Gavin stared up at him, then began to squirm because his meal wasn't appearing at the exact second he wanted it.

"I know, you don't care," McGee murmured, taking both the baby and the bottle into the living room where he sank onto the couch. Shifting Gavin into what was becoming a very familiar position, McGee stuck the bottle in his mouth.

"It's all your sister's fault," McGee told him, knowing intellectually that it was insane to be spilling your guts to a three month old, but desperately needing someone to talk to. "She started all this."

Gavin stared at him intently as he suck on the bottle.

McGee shifted his arm to keep it from falling asleep. "You're not completely innocent in all this either. Smiling at everyone, being all cute. I'm basically stuck here until this case gets solved."

McGee sighed. It wasn't that horrible of an idea, he supposed. Surely he could manage another week or so of this without doing something crazy.

Like telling Abby that he loved her.

When Gavin finished his bottle, McGee burped him carefully over a towel, then settled him back down in the crib to sleep. He slid back into the bed, sighing when he realized Abby had sprawled over onto his side and stolen his pillow.

Very carefully, McGee snagged himself a corner of pillow to lie on and tried not to think about how good Abby's hair smelled, or how soft and warm her body was.

They'd better solve this case soon, McGee thought. Or he wasn't going to survive this.

* * *

Abby shot upright when she heard the screams. McGee reached for his gun, which was in a locked box in the trunk of his car, then looked over at Abby. Without a word, both tossed the covers aside and ran into the other room where Beth was thrashing around in her bed.

Abby sat down first, towards the top of the bed, stroking Beth's forehead. "Beth honey," she said firmly, "Beth, its okay, baby. It's just a dream."

Beth whimpered, and then her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at Abby, her eyes wide and full of tears.

"Come on," Abby murmured, pulling Beth into her arms. "It's okay. It was just a dream. I promise."

Beth opened her arms for McGee the second she saw him, and he pulled her into his lap, cuddling her against his chest. He rubbed her back softly while she pressed her cheek against him. He could feel her letting out tiny shuddering breaths and the dampness of her tears soaking through his skin.

Abby sat off to the side, looking fairly uncomfortable and as if she felt completely useless.

But then Beth reached out a tiny hand to Abby and the woman slid closer, a look of delight on her face that McGee hasn't seen sine she got that new microscope for her lab.

They sat there quietly, him holding Beth and Abby clinging to one of Beth's hands until his shoulders were starting to ache and the deep breaths Beth was taking signaled that she had fallen back asleep.

Abby let go of Beth's hand regretfully, and McGee eased her little body back down on the bed. He pulled the covers back up and tucked them around her, saying a silent prayer that there would be no more nightmares for her that night.

He kissed Beth on the forehead and Abby was staring at him with an unreadable expression on her face.

"You want some hot chocolate?" she asked finally.

McGee nodded and followed her into the kitchen. He sat down at the table while she pulled out mugs and packets of cocoa. When the kettle was on the stove heating up, she turned back to him.

Abby didn't sit down, she just stood there in front of him, her eyes still unreadable, until McGee saw her bite her lower lip and he pulled her onto his lap.

She curled into him, arms around his waist and her head buried in his neck, not all that unlike Beth had been just minutes before.

"I've never been so scared in my whole life," she admitted, pulling back to look him in the eye. "I heard her scream and I don't know what I thought was happening, but I was terrified."

"Me too." McGee had one hand on the small over her back and one resting on her thigh.

"I'm so glad you were here," she murmured, resting her head back on his shoulder. "Beth just wanted you."

"She wanted you too."

"She wanted you first." The kettle began to whistle softly and Abby was up and pulling it off the burner before it could get any louder. She fixed each of them a mug of hot chocolate, tossing in a generous handful of mini marshmallows in each. She dropped the rest of the bag on the table in front of them and sat in a chair to the right of McGee.

"It's good." Abby watched as McGee took a sip and his tongue darted out to remove a spot of chocolate from just above his lip.

"She's too little for nightmares," Abby said after a few minutes, her hands wrapped around the warm mug.

McGee shrugged. "Sarah had nightmares when she was pretty little."

"Yeah, but she could probably at least tell you what they were about."

"Sometimes," McGee told her. "Sometimes she couldn't even remember them." He knew he was saying it partially just to reassure himself, but he didn't care.

"Really?" Abby's eyes were wide and trusting.

"Yeah." McGee sighed. "Maybe Beth will be able to tell you about them anyway."

Abby didn't look like she thought that was going to happen. "She doesn't know enough signs. I've only been able to teach her the basics. It's only been a couple days." Abby lowered her voice. "And I've been too chicken to show her the signs for 'Mom' and 'Dad'."

"Afraid she'll ask about them?"

Abby nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "I mean, I know we told her about her mom, but what if she asks about her dad? I don't know what to tell her." Abby figured that as long as Beth seemed content with her and McGee, she didn't need to rock the boat. At least until they'd solved the case.

McGee swallowed the rest of his hot chocolate and stood up. "You ready to head back to bed?" he asked, realizing instantly just how it sounded and turning a spectacular shade of red.

But Abby just laughed, and somehow that made his embarrassment worthwhile. She grinned as she grabbed their mugs and dumped them in the sink.

She paused and grinned at him. "I'm ready for bed," she sing-songed, and actually pinched his butt on her way by, leaving a stunned and red-faced McGee standing in her kitchen.


	12. Chapter 12

" _Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything  
And everybody believed in you?"*_

*"Innocent" By Taylor Swift.

Abby was pouring Beth a bowl of cereal the next morning when she heard a knock on the door. Beth immediately slid off her chair and under the table.

Sighing, Abby decided to let her be and walked over to the door. If Beth felt safer under the table, who was she to complain? Especially since at that exact moment Abby wanted to climb back in bed and pull the covers over her head for a few more hours.

She unlocked the door and opened it a crack.

"Um, Abby?" The woman who lived in the apartment below her, Nina, was smiling at her. "I hope this isn't too early, but it sounded like you guys were up already and I wanted to catch you before work."

Abby had known Nina since she'd moved in two years before, with her little boys and police officer husband. They chatted from time to time, and Abby had brought over food when Nina had her third child, a daughter just over a year before. They weren't best friends or anything, but Abby liked Nina and they'd gone out a couple times.

"We were awake." Abby pushed the door open a little further. "We weren't being too loud were we?"

"Oh no!" Nina rushed to reassure you. "Not at all, I can just tell by the way the floor creaks." She smiled.

"Oh." Abby tried to form words, but she hadn't slept well after Beth's nightmare and she was more than a little overtired.

"Mrs. Johnson told me yesterday that you had a couple little ones staying with you," Nina explained. Mrs. Johnson lived in the basement studio with four very fat cats, and kept an eye on everything that was going on in the building. "I wanted to see if you needed any stuff for them before I donate it all."

"Oh!" Abby blinked. "That's really sweet, are you sure you want to get rid of it all?"

"Oh yeah." Nina laughed. "Jon's going in to get 'snipped' next week. We're definitely done."

Abby smiled. "That would actually be really helpful. I don't know how long they're going to be with me, so I didn't buy very much." There was a scuffle under the table and she held up one finger. "Hang on a sec."

Crouching down, Abby held out her hand to Beth. "C'mere, honey. I want you to meet somebody."

Beth let Abby tug her out from under the table and be lifted into her arms. "This is Nina. She lives downstairs. She has two little boys a few years older than you."

"And a little girl who's a lot littler than you." Nina smiled warmly at the child in Abby's arms.

Predictably, Beth snuggled into Abby's shoulder and was quiet, but she gave Nina a shy smile before hiding her face.

"She's gorgeous," Nina told Abby. "I wish I had girl stuff to hand down to her, all I've got is my two little troublemakers."

Abby stroked Beth's back. "Anything you have really would help. I've only had her a couple days and I keep having to do laundry to keep them in clothes."

"I'll sort through the stuff today while the boys are at school and find whatever clothes are fairly gender neutral. How big is the baby?"

Abby thought for a moment. "I think I bought six months for him, but they were a little big."

"Well, I know I have lots of little boy stuff that size." Nina leaned against the doorway. Even after the doctor told me Josie was a girl, I wouldn't buy anything pink, just in case he was wrong."

Abby remembered how excited Nina and her husband had been when they'd found out they were going to have a little girl this time, as had been both her boys.

There was a loud  _thud_  from the floor below and a small voice shouted, "Mom!"

Nina grimaced. "I'm almost afraid to look. Anyway, I'll have Jon carry the stuff up tonight when you're back from work. Just tell him if there's anything you don't want and he can put it back with the stuff we're donating."

"Thanks," Abby said again, as the woman disappeared down the stairs.

"Hear that?" she said to Beth, who still had her face buried in Abby's neck. "You and Gavin are gonna get some new stuff. Maybe even some toys."

Beth lifted her head.

"Aha, I knew I'd get your attention with that." Abby laughed and kicked the door closed just as McGee walked into the kitchen with Gavin.

"Was someone here?" he asked, running his free hand over his stubbly chin.

"Nina, from downstairs," Abby told him. "She's going to send up some baby and kid stuff for us later. She'd heard that I had company."

"Mrs. Johnson?" McGee asked.

"Yup." Abby put Beth back in her chair at the table and handed her a spoon. "Eat up, kiddo, we've got to get going."

McGee handed Gavin over to her. "In that case I'd better go shave."

"Aw, I kinda like the scruff," Abby teased.

McGee paused. "Really."

She winked at him. "Go shave."

* * *

Beth ran ahead of Abby into the lab, skidding into the office and emptying the bag she was carrying onto the floor. Apparently her nightmare hadn't impacted her sleep nearly as much as it had Abby and McGee's.

Abby walked into the lab much slower, setting Gavin's car seat on the floor and dropping her large black purse onto the floor. She slid the strap for her messenger back over her head and dropped it next to her purse.

She had never realized how much stuff babies, and kids, needed. Every morning was like packing for a weekend away. Bottles, formula, diapers, extra clothes, pacifiers, blankets, baby wipes…this morning she had just pushed everything that had been abandoned on the kitchen table at some point that weekend into the bag, just in case.

Since Gavin was sound asleep, Abby left him in the carseat and followed Beth into her office. She flopped down in her chair, letting it twirl slightly while she took a deep breath.

"Um, Abby?"

She blinked blearily up as Palmer's body appeared in the doorway. "Yeah?"

He hesitated, glancing over at Beth before answering her. "Um, Dr. Mallard wanted me to remind you that you never finished testing stomach contents."

Abby made a face. Right, stomach contents. She knew she shouldn't have let Gibbs talk her into leaving yesterday. "Thanks, Jimmy. I'll get that done ASAP."

He nodded, and had a funny look on his face as he left.

"That was weird," she muttered to herself, as she heaved her body out of the comfy desk chair and wandered back into the lab. As she made her way over to the fridge she caught sight of herself in a shiny surface and stopped dead.

No wonder he was looking at her like that!

Abby hurried over to her purse and dug around until she found her little purple case that she kept her makeup in. First things first, she needed to get some makeup on so she didn't look like death warmed over.

Abby hadn't left the house without makeup on since she was thirteen. She'd certainly never shown up at work without at least her eyeliner on. Sure, people had seen her without her makeup on, but usually only after events that required the decontamination shower.

It wasn't that she was embarrassed to be seen without her makeup, it was just that her makeup was her. It was a huge part of who she was, of her style. She couldn't help but feel kind of naked without it.

Heading back into her office again, she propped up her iPad and turned on the camera to use it as a mirror, then dumped out the contents of her makeup bag on her desk.

Beth wandered over and watched intently as Abby began smearing on a liberal amount of foundation to cover up the dark circles under her eyes. Lack of enough sleep definitely wasn't a good look on her.

Next, she grabbed a black eyeliner pencil and began tracing along her lash line. It was a little disconcerting doing all this with a pair of very curious eyes watching her every move. When she went to put on her mascara she was so distracted that she nearly poked herself in the eye.

Lastly, Abby pulled out a tube of her trademark red lipstick and some pink chapstick. She handed the chapstick tube to Beth. "Want some?"

Beth contentedly rubbed berry flavored chapstick over her lips while Abby put her lipstick on. The two smiled at each other when they were done. Beth was still clutching the chapstick tube, so Abby told her that she could keep it and put the rest of her makeup away.

Time to get back to work.

Beth obediently went back to her pile of toys and crayons on the floor and Abby went back into the lab, hoping Gavin would stay asleep long enough for her to start processing the samples Ducky had given her the day before.

After going home early the night before, she really felt like she was slacking off in her work. Gibbs sent people down to help her and she still only got half of what she usually did done.

"Hey Abby?" McGee poked his head in the door unexpectedly and Abby almost let out a groan.

"Shhh," she hissed, pointing down at Gavin, who to her dismay was beginning to stir.

McGee gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

She sighed. "What do you want, McGee?"

"Gibbs wanted me to see if you needed any help." He apparently realized just how ridiculous that sounded, and at least had the decency to look guilty.

"Of course not," Abby muttered, turning to the samples in front of her. "I'm doing just peachy all on my own."

McGee crouched down next to Gavin's car seat and began unbuckling the yawning baby. "I'm taking Gavin upstairs," he told her. "Tony and Ziva are already out doing interviews anyway so it won't bother them."

Abby sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just feeling really useless right now."

McGee tucked Gavin against his shoulder and stood up. "You're not useless. Come on, do you really think we could solve this case without you?"

"No," she grumbled. She knew she wasn't useless, she really did, but she couldn't help how she felt. Maybe helpless was a better word.

McGee gave her a little half hug with his free arm. "You gonna be okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Don't mind me, I just feel like being pessimistic this morning." She watched McGee lean down and grab the messenger bag that had become Gavin's diaper bag and leave.

Abby would be okay. She had evidence, and the evidence was going to speak to her.

* * *

"This is pointless!" Ziva exclaimed as she climbed back into the car. This was the third interview she and Tony had conducted and it wasn't even noon. None of Christina Flynn's old friends had talked to her in months.

"Ziva," Tony started to say, but she interrupted him.

"Do not 'Ziva' me!" She pointed a finger at him as he looked across the car at her and narrowed her eyes. "I am angry and frustrated and do not wish to be placated by you."

Tony wisely remained silent.

"I am angry and I am frustrated," Ziva explained, staring out the window at the parking lot they were in. "So many are expecting us to solve this case and we had to let our last decent lead walk away." She let out a deep breath and leaned her head back onto the seat.

"I know." Tony waited a moment and then turned to her, his face lit up with excitement.

She peered at him through the corner of her eyes. "What on earth could you possibly be happy about right now?"

"The next person's the one." Tony pulled the list of Christina Flynn's acquaintances out of his pocket and jabbed his finger at a name. "Valerie Clarke, she's gonna be the one."

"I am sure I will be sorry I chose to ask, but what makes you so sure?" Ziva asked, turning her head towards him. Her eyes were filled with exhaustion and frustration.

Tony grinned cheekily at her. "Because in all the great movies, the best clue comes when the hero's ready to give up."

"I had no intention of giving up," Ziva protested his logic. "In case you have forgotten, Tony, this is not a movie."

"You're right, if this were a movie I'd get paid more"

Ziva shook her head and closed her eyes. "Tony, just drive."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong." Tony crossed his arms. "Come on, Ziva, what bug crawled up your butt today?"

"Why is it that when you do not wish to talk about something, everything is fine, but when it is me you cannot leave me alone?" Ziva exploded, practically spitting the words.

Tony shrugged. "Never said I wasn't a hypocrite."

"I am simply trying to make sure that this case gets solved before Gavin and Beth enter high school." Ziva clenched her hands into fists on her lap. She really did not want to bare her soul to Tony today, she really didn't.

"Hmm." Tony gave a non-committal grunt and turned on the car. "You sure it doesn't have anything to do with a certain former probie playing Mr. Mom?"

Ziva turned her head towards him. "Why would it have something to do with McGee?" she demanded to know.

Tony shrugged as he pulled the car out of the parking lot and began to drive. "I dunno. Thought maybe you were feeling jealous."

"Jealous!" Ziva exclaimed. "That is ridiculous." Which it was. "I am not jealous of McGee." She wasn't.

"You sure?" Tony snuck a glance over at her. "Because you've seemed a little grumpy every since McGee started staying with Abby."

Ziva resisted the urge to jab something pointy into Tony's fleshy parts. "You are completely insane."

Tony stayed silent for the next fifteen or so minutes while Ziva fumed beside him. How dare he accuse her of being jealous! She was most certainly not a jealous person. Perhaps she was a little worried that McGee would end up hurt again, but that did not constitute jealousy.

By the time they reached their next destination, the workplace of a Ms. Valerie Clarke, Ziva was still feeling rather vexed. She climbed out of the car and slammed the door just hard enough to demonstrate that she was still annoyed, and strode in front of Tony and into the building.

The Eicher Corporation was a small paper distribution center with less than two dozen full time workers, one of which was a woman named Valerie Clarke, who up until six months ago, was one of the friends Christina Flynn had called nearly every day.

Which was why Tony and Ziva were there. It seemed that Christina Flynn had stopped talking to most of her friends several months before, but with even less leads than usual, they were tasked with interviewing anyone who might know anything.

"Valerie Clarke?" Ziva asked as she approached the front desk, Tony trailing a few feet behind her and nearly being hit in the face with the door she had purposely failed to hold for him.

The receptionist, a brunette wearing a tight blouse and way too much makeup, looked up nervously. "I'm Valerie Clarke."

"NCIS," Tony announced, holding up his badge and bumping Ziva out of the way with his hip. "We'd like to ask you some questions about Christina Flynn."

Valerie looked back and forth from Ziva to Tony. "Um, okay? What's NCIS?"

"Naval Criminal Investigative Services," Ziva explained.

"Oh." Valerie nodded. "I haven't talked to Christina in months. Is she okay? Did something happen to her husband? He's in the Navy."

Ziva glanced over at Tony, who nodded. "I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Christina Flynn was found murdered Thursday night."

"Murdered?" If Valerie had known her friend was dead she should be the star in one of Tony's movies. "What…I mean…are you sure?"

Tony nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"Wow. I…" Valerie blinked rapidly and stared down at her desk. After a moment she found a tissue and wiped at her eyes leaving dark smudges in her eyeliner. "I've been so mad at her," she said softly.

"Mad?" Tony probed.

Valerie nodded and looked up. "For ditching me. At first I thought it was because of the baby, but Saturday was my birthday." She forgot about the tissue and twin tears fell down her cheeks. "I thought she just didn't care anymore."

Tony looked uncomfortable as the woman began to cry. Ziva simply waited for Valerie to compose herself before she resumed questioning her. "When was the last time you two spoke?"

"September, I think. It was only a few weeks after she left Brian. She said she needed some time to process things and I didn't want to push her." Valerie wiped at her face, smearing her makeup around.

"So you knew why they were getting a divorce?" Tony looked as if he were unsure of where exactly to look now that the buxom brunette had black streaks down her cheeks.

"Oh sure. Everyone knew about Joel."

Both Ziva and Tony's heads snapped up. "Joel?" Ziva asked, trying not to sound too eager.

Valerie didn't seem to notice their sudden interest. "Yeah, he used to hook up with my cousin Hannah but then he started hanging out with Christina. She kept it from Brian for awhile but everyone else knew she was cheating on him."

Ziva was jotting things down as fast as she could on the little pad she'd pulled out of her jacket pocket. "What is Joel's last name?"

"Parker. Joel Parker." Valerie sniffled. "Is that all you need? My boss is gonna get mad if I don't get all this paperwork filed before lunch and it's almost twelve thirty."

* * *

Gibbs came to a halt as he walked back into the squad room. McGee was holding Gavin in one arm, using his chin to prop up the bottle as the baby ate. Staring intently at the computer screen, he was clicking rapidly with his free hand.

There was way too much cute going on the building lately.

"What do you have for me, McGee?" Gibbs barked.

Gavin startled, kicking his legs and letting out a plaintive cry. McGee jumped up, bouncing the baby while simultaneously grabbing for the plasma's remote. "Joel Parker has been arrested twice for drug possession and once for intent to buy. Apparently two of his ex-girlfriends have restraining orders out against him."

"Prime suspect material," Tony sang out from his desk.

Gibbs sat down at his desk and looked around. "Well? Why aren't you out picking him up?"

McGee was bouncing Gavin and trying to hold the bottle up with the same hand he held the remote in. "We haven't found him yet, Boss. His last known address was with a roommate in Bethesda but he moved out two months ago and didn't leave a forwarding address."

Gibbs let out a sigh of frustration. Every time he thought they were finally going to get somewhere on this case, they hit a wall.

"I am on hold with his employer," Ziva offered, phone tucked between her ear and her shoulder. "I do not think he works there anymore, but he may know where Parker is now working."

Gibbs turned to Tony, who did the startled little jump he always did when he realized Gibbs was waiting for him. "I'm tracking down friends and family."

It wasn't like they hadn't had other cases that took that long, or even longer, because they had. Many of them. Gibbs just had this gut feeling that something bad was going to happen if they didn't solve this case soon, and he didn't like it.

Rule number ten was pretty much out the window already. Gibbs was involved, McGee and Abby most certainly were personally involved. He'd even caught Tony and Ziva making faces at Beth and Gavin. He had already faced it, they were all involved. This case was more than just a case to them.

"Success!" Tony stood up and put a hand in the air, an orange sticky note between his thumb and first finger. "I have an address!"

Gibbs nodded. "You and Ziva. Go."

* * *

"I hope this doesn't take too long." Tony fidgeted as he and Ziva watched Gibbs enter the interrogation room.

"Gibbs cannot rush an interrogation simply because you have a date," Ziva said, shaking her head.

"I don't have a date." Tony continued to wiggle like a toddler who'd waited too long to use the potty. "It's just dinner with an old friend."

"Mmm-hmm." Ziva had her arms crossed and did not look convinced.

"If I put it off, she's going to think I'm avoiding her," Tony shoved his hands in his pockets. "And I was avoiding her, but I'm not avoiding her now, so I don't want her to think I'm avoiding her."

Ziva wrinkled her brow.

"I'm not avoiding her," Tony insisted.

"I did not think that you were," Ziva replied. "I am simply amazed by how many words you felt the need to say to explain."

Tony sighed. "Oh." He stared through the window. "Why isn't Gibbs talking? Should he be talking?"

Without speaking, Ziva reached behind him and flicked a switch, turning the audio 'on'.

"I don't even know why I'm here." The man sitting in front of Gibbs looked like a stereotypical image of a drug user. He had the shaved head, blood shot eyes, and his black tank top exposed two nearly full sleeves of tattoos. "Don't you have to tell me why I'm here?"

"I already told you why you were here, Joel," Gibbs said calmly. "I need to talk to you about Christina Flynn."

"Christina?" Joel crossed his arms. "I haven't seen her in months, man. You tell her husband to stay the hell away from me."

"Her husband?" Gibbs prompted, playing dumb.

"Yeah, big red-headed guy? He and a couple of his sailor buddies tried to kill me last year."

"Kill you?"

Joel banged the table for emphasis. "Yeah, kill me. You can check the doctor's records, I had a broken arm and a concussion. How come you Navy cops didn't get involved then?"

Gibbs shrugged. "It wasn't brought to my attention. You still interested in filing charges?"

"Hell yeah!" Joel perked up at the thought. "I can't wait to get that punk sailor's wife in open court, she can't lie about me then."

"Actually she can't lie about you at all." Gibbs leaned back in his chair. "She's dead."

"Dead?" He seemed confused for a moment. "She's dead?"

"Murdered," Gibbs clarified.

Joel swore. "I liked Christina," he said after a few seconds. "She was good people."

"How have you known her?"

"A year?" Joel shrugged. "Something like that."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

He thought it over. "Not since August. After she left her husband she didn't seem interested in hanging out anymore, plus she was like fat and pregnant, ya know?"

Gibbs raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure she was." He tilted his head. "You didn't talk to her on the phone after that?"

"Nah, man. Clean cut."

"Then how do you explain the twenty or so phone calls made from her apartment to your cell phone during December and January?" Gibbs asked.

"So she called once in awhile? What about it? I didn't kill her or nothin'."

"Where were you Thursday night?"

"No freakin' way!" Joel stood up suddenly, knocking over the chair. "You are not pinning this crap on me. I had nothing to do with her death. Nothing!"

"In that case you won't mind providing an alibi and a DNA sample."

"DNA?" Joel snorted. "I ain't giving you people my DNA, are you crazy? I might as well put the handcuffs on myself. As soon as you have my DNA someone's gonna 'accidentally' spill it on the evidence or something." He crossed his arms and looked generally 'pissed'.

Gibbs decided to change gears. "What did you and Christina talk about when she called."

"I dunno." Joel leaned against the wall and shrugged his shoulders. "She said she was lonely or whatever. I thought she wanted me to try and get her some drugs, but when I offered she said she was clean."

Gibbs glanced behind him at the two way mirror, where he had no doubt Tony and Ziva were snickering. Apparently Joel was "smart" enough to refuse a DNA test, but forgot to censor himself before admitting that he'd offered to sell the victim drugs.

"What else did she talk about?" Gibbs prompted.

Seeming to relax, Joel picked up the chair he had knocked over and set it upright. He turned it around and straddled the seat, leaning his arms on the back. "She blathered on about her kids a lot. Said she missed them or something, I kinda tuned her out."

From inside the observation room, Ziva heaved a sigh. "Oh he is a lovely creature, isn't he? Nerve of her, missing her children."

"Yeah, she must have been a real downer," Tony muttered, rolling his eyes. "Can we arrest this guy just for being an ass?"

"I do not think Director Vance would go for that," Ziva replied. "Sad, but true." She wondered what could have possibly made Christina Flynn so lonely that she would go out with a man with so few redeeming characteristics.

Back in interrogation, Gibbs was doing an excellent job of remaining calm. Joel Parker was not the first creep he'd had the misfortune of interrogating, nor would he be the last.

"Can you think of anyone who might have wanted to hurt Christina?"

Joel blinked slowly. Gibbs was beginning to wonder if they should have left him overnight to sober up, when he finally spoke. "Nah, man. I mean, her husband wanted to kill me, but everyone like Christina."

Deciding that he wasn't going to get anything else out of Joel at the moment, Gibbs stood up and left. Ziva and Tony met him in the hallway, looking anxious.

"You find anything on him?" Gibbs asked.

Tony nodded. "There was a joint in his back pocket when we picked him up."

"Book him on possession charges. Let the locals take care of it. Ziva, see if you can get a court order for a DNA sample. Tell them we need to make sure he isn't either of the kid's father if you have to."

Gibbs stalked off down the hall.


	13. Chapter 13

" _I hope that you see right through my walls  
I hope that you catch me 'cause I'm already falling"*_

*"Arms" by Christina Perri

As soon as Beth ate her lunch, Abby put her down for a nap in her office. Beth curled up on the futon obediently, holding Bert under one arm and looking trustingly up at Abby.

Abby was trying not to feel guilty for being so excited that it was nap time. It wasn't that she was sick of Beth, because she wasn't. She was just so tired. It seemed to be every five minutes that Beth wanted to show her something, or Abby had to check on her, or rush into the office and make sure she didn't play with something Abby hadn't realized the little girl could reach.

Half of her office was piled precariously on top of her file cabinets, and she was just waiting for Beth to figure out how to climb up and get things there.

Abby loved that Beth was starting to get really comfortable with her surroundings, and with her. But the more comfortable she got, the more she tested her boundaries and Abby was beginning to wonder how other people kept up.

Beth had just dozed off when the door to the lab opened. Abby turned from the computer and smiled gratefully at Gibbs as he came in with a large Caf-Pow in hand.

"What do you got for me, Abbs," he said, handing over the Caf-Pow.

Abby took an appreciative sip. "I finally finished running some of the samples Ducky gave me."

"Good." Gibbs raised his eyebrows and waited for her to continue.

"The stuff he found on her Christina Flynn's leg turned out to be urushiol, a clear compound that's found within the sap of Toxicodendron radicans."

Gibbs sighed. "In English?"

"Poison Ivy." Abby gave him a small smile as she took another sip. "Which means if the killer dragged her through a patch of it, he very well might have a nasty rash somewhere on his body."

Gibbs looked rather pleased at the thought. "Good work, Abbs," he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"How did it go with the guy Tony and Ziva picked up?" Abby asked before he could leave. McGee had texted her to say that they had someone in custody, and she'd been dying of curiosity ever since. It was the one down side to working alone in the basement, she didn't always know what was going on elsewhere.

"I don't think he did it." Gibbs sighed. "But he's a jerk, and he had weed on him when they picked him up, so he's going to jail. If Ziva can get a court order for his DNA, I'm going to need you to run it against the sample Ducky found under the victim's fingernails."

Abby nodded. "No problem."

"And against the sample you took of Gavin's."

"Gavin?" Abby frowned.

"Just in case," Gibbs told her. "I don't think anything will come of it, but if Lieutenant Flynn wasn't the father, there'd be motive for both of them."

Abby bit her lip. "Okay."

"Relax and go back to work." Gibbs tugged on one of her pigtails as he left.

Abby sighed and turned back to the computer. Time to get some serious work done.

She spoke too soon.

"I'm sorry," McGee told her as he carried a wide awake Gavin into the lab. The baby let out a loud whimper and squirmed in McGee's arms. "I just can't seem to make him happy."

Abby sighed and reached out, taking Gavin and tucking him against her shoulder. "What's the matter, buddy," she murmured into his hair, rubbing his back soothingly.

Gavin let out a string of whiny babbles, as if he were telling her everything that McGee had been doing wrong. He put his head down on her shoulder, facing into her neck and clung to her shirt.

"I guess he just wanted you." McGee stuck his hands in his pockets and looked a little uneasy.

Abby kissed Gavin's forehead and kept rubbing his back. McGee looked just a tiny bit offended that the baby had wanted her and not him, and she held back her smile. "I guess so."

Gavin let out another string of babbles, but his eyes were already drooping shut. "I knew you were tired," McGee told the little boy. "I'm sorry, I swear I tried everything but he wasn't having any of it."

"Its fine," Abby reassured McGee. "I'll put him down with Beth when he's totally asleep."

"You sure?" McGee still hesitated to leave. "I know you have a lot to do."

"So do you," she replied. "And Gibbs going to be wondering why you're not doing it if you don't get your butt upstairs ASAP."

It wasn't long after McGee left that Abby was able to lay Gavin down on the futon next to his sister. He didn't even stir, which made Abby smile. "He just wanted me," she murmured to herself, feeling a little awed. She sucked down the Caf-Pow Gibbs had brought her and got back to work.

Abby got a good two solid hours of work done before Beth wandered in, rubbing her eyes and dragging Bert behind her. By that point Abby was mostly waiting for results or comparing DNA profiles, so she set Beth on the table beside the computer and sang silly songs to her while she worked.

Gibbs called down around five and told her to go home. His voice said not to argue, and since she was still exhausted from the night before, she didn't fight with him.

Instead, she and Beth packed up their stuff and she carried Gavin upstairs to meet McGee, who had also been released from work. He had Gavin's car seat with him and shuffled into the elevator with them.

The drive home was fairly quiet, although Gavin 'talked' to them the entire way. Abby didn't even bother turning on the radio, she just listened to Gavin babbling and the sound of McGee breathing beside her.

They were climbing out of the car when Nina came out the front door.

"Hey!" she said breathlessly, as Abby helped Beth out of her car seat. "I'm glad I caught you. I made way too much lasagna for dinner and I thought I'd see if you guys would like to come over."

Abby glanced at McGee, who shrugged. "That sounds all right."

"Great." Nina beamed and gave Beth (who was hiding behind Abby's leg) a wave. "I made a small vegetarian one for you and I. That keeps my little meat eaters happy, and this way you can let me know what you want Jon to lug upstairs."

"Okay, great." Abby returned Nina's warm smile. "When do you want us?"

"It's almost done, so anytime you're ready."

Abby nodded. "Okay then. I guess we'll just run upstairs and re-stock the diaper bag. Then we'll be come down."

"Awesome." Nina waved at McGee. "I'll meet the rest of you when you come down, I have to get back in before my little destroyers get into trouble. Don't worry, Jon's going to be home soon so they'll have to behave!" she called behind her as she ran inside.

McGee stared after the woman. "She drinks Caf-Pow, doesn't she?"

Abby laughed. "Nope. She doesn't even drink coffee. She's just naturally that perky."

"Her husband must be a saint," McGee muttered as he leaned into the backseat to unbuckle Gavin.

"He's just real laid back," Abby told him as they headed upstairs. "Super nice, kinda like you." She patted him on the cheek.

McGee actually turned a little pink. Abby turned her head away so he wouldn't see the grin on her face while she unlocked the door to her apartment.

Beth ran inside ahead of them and Abby dumped her bags on the floor and plopped down beside them. She began pulling out items: dirty bottles, the shirt Gavin had spit up all down the front of, the mostly empty container of formula.

Without even being asked, McGee handed her a new can of formula, then a stack of diapers from the box on the floor. Abby gave him a grateful look. She left most of the stuff on the floor, only grabbing the dirty bottles to toss in the sink when she retrieved new ones.

McGee was already changing Gavin when she went to check on Beth, who was in Abby's room, trying on a stack of cuff style bracelets which fit all the way up her arm. She had seven of them on one arm when Abby went in, prompting Abby to pull out her cell phone and snap a couple pictures.

"You ready to go to Nina's house for dinner?" Abby asked, sitting on the corner of her bed.

Beth paused in her 'beautifying' and frowned.

"She has two little boys and a little girl to play with," Abby told her. "And she's going to give you and Gavin some toys and stuff her kids don't need anymore. That'll be fun, right?"

Beth perked up when she heard toys, and nodded.

"Good." Abby tweaked Beth's nose and smiled at her. "All right, the bracelets have to stay here, but you can bring Bert if you want."

* * *

Ziva was the only one left in the bullpen when Tony was getting ready to leave. She watched him as he pulled a mirror from his drawer and checked his hair and teeth.

"Getting all of your turkeys in a row?" she asked dryly.

Tony's head snapped up. "Ducks," he corrected her. "Ducks in a row."

Ziva shrugged, she did not really care. "Birds," she said passively.

"And yes, I'm getting ready to go out," Tony added.

Ziva watched him as he smoothed his hair back. Obviously happy with what he saw, Tony put the mirror back in his desk.

Most everyone else in the building had left already, but both Tony and Ziva had stayed late, picking up the slack for McGee, who had left promptly at five. Ziva did not mind, she understood that McGee was needed for the time being to help with Beth, but she had been feeling a bit of ennui all afternoon that she just could not shake.

Perhaps it was because everyone but her seemed to have plans that evening. Even Gibbs had hurried off fifteen minutes before, looking for all intensive purposes like he had somewhere to be, although he could just have been longing to spend alone time in his basement.

McGee and Abby were, doing whatever it was they were doing, and Tony had his big non-date with his ex-fiancé, Wendy.

And Ziva had nothing.

Usually she was quite content to have a quiet evening at home. A good book, take out from one of her favorite restaurants, perhaps a long bubble bath, it was an excellent way to spend her free time.

But for some reason tonight, it felt awfully lonely.

"Are you okay?"

Ziva looked up to find Tony staring across at her from his desk. She swallowed and gave him a small nod. "Yes, of course. I am just tired."

"You sure?" Tony didn't look convinced.

"I am sure."

And she was. Except Ziva had just gotten an email from an old friend back in Israel which had included the news that she and her husband were having a baby.

Ziva didn't want a baby, not then and maybe not ever, but she couldn't help feeling a twinge when reminded that she still had not found someone to spend the rest of her life with.

She had never dreamed with Mossad, but she had begun to dream when she became a citizen. Dreamt about a future life, a future self, a future life mate. And for a brief time she had even wondered if that person could be McGee. He was kind, considerate, and a wonderful friend. Any woman would be lucky to have him as a significant other.

Abby would be lucky.

Tony was still watching her from his desk. The look on his face made her feel vaguely uncomfortable, as if he could see into her very soul, which was ridiculous, but he still seemed to see too much.

"You wanna come with me?" Tony offered.

Ziva laughed. "On your date with your ex-fiancé? I think I will pass, Tony."

"It's not a date," Tony grumbled under his breath.

Ziva had a small smile on her face as she stacked the paperwork she had just finished on the side of her desk. "I am fine, Tony. Go on your non-date with Wendy."

"All right," Tony said, but he still didn't move.

"Go!"

* * *

Nina's two sons, Tristan and Patrick, were seven and five respectively. They both had thick brown hair like their mothers, but while Tristan's eyes were a clear blue, Patrick's were caramel brown. Both boys watched Beth intently as she hid behind Abby's legs.

Abby sat down on the couch in their living room, pulling Beth onto her lap. The little girl leaned back, but watched the two little boys just as closely as they watched her.

Nina came back into the room, one year old Lindsay toddling behind her. The little girl was very unsteady on her feet, but determined to keep mobile. She'd take a few steps, tip over, crawl to the nearest piece of furniture and pull herself up again to take a few more steps.

"Bee!" Lindsay squealed when she saw Abby and got so excited that she landed back onto her bum.

Abby laughed. "Hey, Lindsay! Beth, that's Lindsay." She pointed.

Beth turned her gaze to Lindsay and blinked.

"Doesn't talk much, does she?" Nina remarked, plopping down on the couch next to Abby. "At that age I couldn't get my boys to stop talking. Of course you wouldn't know that now." She frowned. "What's the matter with you guys? Pretty girl got your tongue?"

Abby smiled as seven year old Tristan puffed his chest out and tried to look manly. "Nope, Beth doesn't like to talk. I've been teaching her a little sign language though."

"Really?" Nina said, smiling at Beth. "You must be one smart little girl."

"She is," Abby said proudly.

Both women looked up at McGee, who was still standing somewhat uncomfortably in the doorway holding Gavin.

"Sit down," Nina instructed. "Relax. We're not formal here, trust me."

McGee sat down in a chair near where Lindsay was sitting, and she crawled over to him. Using McGee's pant leg to pull herself up, she pointed at Gavin. "Baby."

Gavin kicked his legs and gave her a gummy smile.

"He is just precious," Nina said. "And so happy! I've never seen a happier baby."

"Neither have I." Abby nudged gently at Beth to see if she was feeling more relaxed, but the little girl leaned back further. She decided not to push her and gave her a little hug.

Nina stood up so fast Abby almost didn't see her move. "Oh! I should show you the stuff so you can see what you want!"

The next thing McGee knew, Nina, Abby (and by extension, Beth) were gone and he was left with three little boys (including Gavin) staring at him. Even little Lindsay toddled off after her mother.

He swallowed. "Guess it's just us guys," he said awkwardly.

Tristan took a step closer. "What's your name?"

"My name's Tim, and this is Gavin."

The younger boy stepped closer. "He doesn't have any teeth yet."

"Nope." McGee smiled. "He's too little."

"Lindsay has teeth 'cause she's bigger."

"He knows that, Patrick!" Tristan whispered loudly to his brother.

"So you two are Tristan, and Patrick?" McGee pointed towards each boy as he said their names.

Tristan nodded up and down. "I'm seven," he told McGee.

"I'm five," Patrick added, not to be outdone.

"Wow, are you guys in school already?"

Both boys nodded.

"Do you like it?"

Tristan nodded while Patrick shook his head.

McGee laughed. "How come you don't like school, Patrick?"

"'Cause I wiggle too much," Patrick said honestly.

"I like to read," Tristan told him.

"I like to read too," he told them. "I even write my own stories sometimes."

"Wow." Tristan was impressed.

Patrick wasn't. "Mommy reads us stories before we go to bed. Do you read him stories?" He pointed at Gavin.

"Um." McGee hesitated to answer, feeling a little guilty that he hadn't read to Gavin or Beth yet. "Not yet, I guess I gotta get some little kid books."

"We have kid books," Patrick told him. "Would you read to us?"

McGee shrugged. "Sure."

The next thing he knew, Patrick and Tristan had returned from their room each with an armful of books. He moved to the couch, where one boy curled on each side of him as he read to them about dinosaurs and dragons.

They were so involved in the story that they didn't hear the front door open and close. Suddenly, McGee glanced up to find a strange but not unfriendly looking man standing in the doorway.

"Hello," the brown haired man said, a bemused expression on his face.

"Daddy!" Patrick exclaimed, throwing himself off the couch and into his father's arms.

The man picked his son up effortlessly and gave him a big hug. "Hey, little man. You guys make a new friend?"

"Uh-huh. His name's Tim and he writes books."

He smiled. "Hey Tim, I'm Jon. I take it you're the friend of Abby my wife said might be coming for dinner?" He let Patrick slide down his leg and climb back onto the couch next to McGee.

"I am." McGee smiled.

"And who's this little guy?" Jon asked, as Gavin looked up at him wide eyed.

"He's Gavin," Tristan told his father, still holding a stack of books on his lap. As a thought popped into his head, he turned to McGee, his brow furrowed. "Is Gavin Abby and you's baby?"

McGee flushed a little. Man, kids were blunt. "Actually, no. Abby and I are just taking care of him and Beth right now."

"Oh." The explanation seemed to appease him, and Tristan turned back to the book in McGee's hands.

"Da-da!" Lindsay toddled into the room, fell on her butt, and finished her dash over to her father by crawling.

"Hey, pumpkin." Jon swung Lindsay up in his arms and gave her a noisy kiss on the cheek. "Where's your mama?"

"Mama." Lindsay clapped.

"I'm here, I'm here." Nina breezed through the living room. "I'll kiss you in a minute, I forgot to put a timer on the lasagna." She disappeared into the kitchen.

Jon smirked. "She does that all the time."

"I'm going to tell her you said that." Abby came into the living room, Beth following shyly behind, clutching a stuffed bear.

"Hey Abby." Jon smiled. "And who's the beautiful girl behind you?"

Abby placed her hand on the back of Beth's head and gently encouraged her forward. "This is Beth."

Jon crouched down and held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Beth."

To both McGee and Abby's surprise, Beth slowly stepped forward and let Jon shake her hand. She held onto her new bear with a death grip, but she didn't run away.

Nina reappeared from the kitchen in time to catch her guests incredulous looks. "Kids love Jon. He's like the toddler whisperer."

Jon turned and winked at his wife. "You know you're jealous."

"I know a lot of things, Jon." Nina raised her eyebrows. "Okay, everyone. Dinner is ready."

Dinner passed quickly, and was a lot more fun than McGee had been expecting. Patrick and Tristan fought over who got to sit next to Beth, which won each of them a special place in his heart. Abby took a dozen pictures of a slightly confused Beth who wound up sitting between the boys, who continued to bicker and strain for her attention throughout the entire meal.

Jon was a super easygoing guy. McGee watched him roll his eyes at his son's antics, catch bits of his daughter's food mid-air as she decided she was done eating, and make faces at Gavin and Beth, all while carrying on an intelligent conversation with the adults.

Nina reminded him a little bit of Abby with her energizer bunny habits, but there the similarities ended. She was a blissfully happy stay at home mom, dressed fairly conservatively, and didn't have a single tattoo (despite Abby's best attempts, apparently).

The boys were good for Beth. McGee wanted to kiss them both as they dragged Beth off to "see their room". He had never seen her act so completely relaxed and, well, normal.

"I have to ask," Nina began as she lifted Lindsay from her high chair and tried to keep little food covered fingers out of her hair, "does Beth talk at all?"

Abby shook her head. "I'm assuming that she can, but she hasn't, no, not since I met her."

"Hmm." Nina began cleaning Lindsay's hands off with her napkin.

"That particular noise means my wife is dying to know the story but she's pretending not to be nosy," Jon translated with a smile.

Abby laughed as Nina half-heartedly whacked Jon on the shoulder with her napkin. "It's okay, it's not a huge secret." She explained about what was going on, without telling them any specific details about the case.

By the time she finished both Nina and Jon were slack jawed, and Gavin was in her arms happily sucking on a bottle McGee had fixed when he'd started fussing a few minutes before.

"Wow." Nina and Jon had gravitated closer together as Abby had told the story and they both stared down at their daughter in Nina's arms while they recovered from the tale.

"No wonder she doesn't talk," Jon murmured. "I wouldn't talk either if I'd been through all that. I don't know how she can act as normally as she does."

The sounds of Patrick and Tristan talking and Beth's giggles trickled into the room. "She's amazing," McGee agreed, his eyes softening as he thought about the little girl who had one hand firmly wrapped around his heart.

"I'm glad you two were able to keep them from going to strangers." Nina hugged Lindsay and pressed her face against the little girl's hair. "They're lucky to have you two."

Abby looked down at Gavin, feeling a swell of affection as she watched him eat. "We're lucky to have them," she corrected her.

"What happens if they can't go back to their father?" Jon asked seriously.

"There's a grandmother." Abby glanced at McGee, who was frowning. "She's been out of the country so we haven't been able to get in touch with her, but maybe she'd take them. I don't know, really. I'm sure DCF would be able to find a relative that wants them."

"Who wouldn't want them?" Nina remarked. "Heck, if Jon and I weren't already outnumbered I'd want them."

"Says the woman who threatened to give me a vasectomy herself when she found out she was pregnant with Lindsay." Jon smirked at his wife.

Abby laughed. "I can see her saying that."

"I can see her doing that," John replied with a grin. "That's why I was so worried."

McGee looked over at Lindsay, whose eyes were drooping as she sat on her mother's lap. "We should probably get going. Looks like someone's ready for bed."

Nina smiled. "And you guys probably have to get your little ones into bed too."

"Actually," Abby said with a sparkle in her eye, "I was thinking pie."

"Pie?" McGee raised his eyebrows.

Abby nodded. "I know a diner where you can get really good pie. I bet Beth would love it."

Jon shook his head, laughing. "I think the kid's already got you whipped."

Nina narrowed her eyes. "I'll show Jon the stuff you wanted and he'll carry it upstairs for you guys."

Abby bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "McGee can help you," she offered.

As Jon and McGee each carried an armful up the stairs McGee realized Jon was right. He hadn't even blinked when Abby offered up his services.

And they were definitely going for pie afterwards.


	14. Chapter 14

" _So this is me swallowing my pride,  
Standing in front of you saying, "I'm sorry for that night"*_

*"Back to December" by Taylor Swift

Tony sat in his car for an extra fifteen minutes after he arrived at the diner, trying to convince himself that he wasn't nervous. It made him almost twenty minutes late, which probably made him a jerk, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Wendy was there already, he had been sitting in the car when she arrived and walked into the diner alone. Her pale blond hair in a braid that nearly reached her waist, she was sitting at a table near the back, by a window. He could see her through the glass if he leaned back a little.

The car radio was still playing the same soft rock station he usually enjoyed listening to, but Tony barely heard the music anymore. He was too busy berating himself for being such a damn coward.

"Go inside," he instructed himself out loud, not caring that he probably looked like a crazy person, sitting in his car and talking to himself. "She's going to think you stood her up. And Ziva's going to ask you how it went in the morning, are you going to tell her you wussed out?"

He startled when someone tapped on his window, and paled when he turned to see who it was.

Wendy had a half smile on her face as he lowered the window between them. "You done talking to yourself or should I order another cup of coffee?"

"I was just about to come inside," Tony informed her, and she had the nerve to laugh at him.

Tony decided this was possibly one of the most humiliating experiences of his life as he followed her into the diner and to their table. He was so going to cut this portion of the story out when he told Ziva about it later.

They sat down and Tony ordered a burger and fries. Wendy ordered a Cesar salad, not because she was watching her weight, but because she'd always had a thing for lettuce. Unless things had changed, she could always eat whatever she wanted with her speedy metabolism and often did.

"So, how are you?" Wendy asked when the waiter was gone. "I couldn't believe it when I heard you weren't a cop anymore."

Tony explained about being an NCIS agent and how it was a lot like being a cop most days, and tried not to blurt out completely inappropriate remarks at every turn.

By the time their food came, he'd relaxed somewhat and was actually having an okay time talking about old friends.

"You're probably wondering why I wanted to talk after all that time."

Tony had just bitten off a large bite of burger when she spoke, so he settled for nodding and chewing as fast as he could in response.

Wendy smiled. "Relax, it's nothing bad. Or at least I hope you won't think so." She looked a little unsure of herself.

Tony finished chewing his bite, and swallowed. "So, what's up?" she asked, trying to look casual.

"I'm getting married." Wendy smiled proudly across the table, holding up her left hand. Somehow he'd missed the simple gold and diamond ring encircling her finger.

"That's great," Tony told her, and he really meant it. They might have had quite a past between them, but Wendy had always been a nice person and she deserved to be happy.

Even if it wasn't with him.

Wendy looked relieved when he smiled and proceeded to tell him all about her fiancé. How they met because his little boy goes to an elementary school where she substitutes for another music teacher sometimes. How sweet he is, how he proposed, ect.

Then she dropped the bomb about why she felt the need to seek him out now.

"We're going to be living in Anacostia," she told him as their food arrived. "Actually, I already am. I transferred at the beginning of the school year."

"What part?" Tony asked, and she explained where the apartment was located and the school she was working at. Greg, the fiancé, and his son Zachary would be joining her in a few weeks.

When their food was almost gone, Wendy leaned back in her chair. "I just didn't want you to find out from an old friend, or to just bump into you at the supermarket or something."

Tony laughed. "Unless you shop at the 7-Eleven on on 7th street around two in the morning I think we're safe."

"You know what I mean." She playfully swatted at his arm and laughed a little herself. "Besides, there's something I've wanted to say to you for a long time."

"Thanks for ruining all other men for me?" Tony quipped.

"Cute." Wendy suddenly got serious. "Actually, what I wanted was, 'I'm sorry'."

"For what?" Tony asked without thinking.

Wendy raised her eyebrows.

"Oh." Tony swallowed. Suddenly his French fries looked just fascinating.

Wendy let him play with his French fries in the ketchup for a moment before continuing. "Taking off like that, it was a really lousy thing to do, I know."

Tony shrugged. "Wasn't that big of a deal," he insisted.

"Don't." Wendy leaned forward and waited for him to look up at her. "Don't pretend it was nothing because it wasn't. An engagement is big, Tony, and I left you the night before our wedding."

"So why did you do it then?" Tony blurted out, shocking himself. If there was one thing he had not planned on, it was asking that question.

Wendy took a deep breath. "Short answer? Because I knew neither of us were ready to get married."

"I wouldda made a lousy husband," Tony agreed, cracking a half smile.

"Back then? Heck yeah." Wendy grinned. "And I would have made a lousy wife. We would have been divorced in a year."

"Is that the long answer?" Tony asked, only half joking.

"Part of it," Wendy told him. She picked up her fork and poked at a soggy crouton. "Deep down, I knew it was a terrible idea, and I couldn't remember why I'd ever said yes."

"Ouch."

"I didn't mean it like that." She put her fork down with a clink. "I loved you Tony, but I was only twenty-two. I could barely buy beer without a fake I.D. I wasn't mature enough to be somebody's wife. I had no idea what I wanted from life. And I also knew that when I said those vows, it would be forever. I couldn't promise that to you."

Tony was quiet as he gathered his thoughts. Suddenly he felt ten years younger, like he was the Tony who had just found a note instead of his fiancé at his apartment.

"Tony?"

His head jerked up as he saw Abby and McGee making their way across the diner, each holding a kid.

"Hey Abby," Tony said, trying to look casual. "What are you guys doing here?" He wasn't sure if he should kiss her or curse her.

"Beth and I wanted apple pie." Abby squeezed the toddler in her arms. "This is the best place for pie."

"That it is," Tony agreed.

McGee was looking curiously at the blond sitting across the table. "Um, Abby? We should get our own table." When Abby looked perplexed he nodded towards Wendy. "I think we're interrupting."

"Ohh!" Abby looked over at Wendy. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were on a date."

"He's not," Wendy said quickly. "Just an old friend. We were about to order dessert, why don't you two join us."

Tony raised his eyebrows as he looked at her. They were?

"Tony?" Abby asked, bouncing in place a little.

"Yeah, sure." Tony slid further into the booth. "Join us for pie."

"Great." Abby happily slid in next to Tony, setting Beth on the seat between them. McGee looked dubious, but sat down next to Wendy when she smiled warmly at him.

"I'm Wendy," she said, continuing to smile at him and offering a hand McGee was too stunned to take.

Abby turned to Tony with a look that was equal parts delight and deviousness. She had obviously forgotten that his former fiance had called with everything that had been going on at work and at home.

He was suddenly very, very afraid.

"I'm Abby." The Goth in question thrust her hand across the table. "That's McGee, and this is Beth." She gestured to Beth with her free hand while shaking Wendy's hand with the other.

"Nice to meet you." Wendy smiled cordially at Abby and Beth, then turned to McGee and the baby in his arms, who predictably beamed at her.

"That's Gavin," Abby told her.

"Aren't you the cutest little thing?" Wendy cooed at him.

Tony shook his head in amazement. He was going to have to figure out how to harness all that baby cuteness. You know, without giving women the wrong idea.

Abby was watching him with a knowing look on her face. "You are not using Gavin as a wingman," she informed him.

"Aw, come on, Abbs," he teased. "We could get matching suits."

Wendy was shaking her head. "He hasn't changed a bit, has he?"

"Probably not." McGee had managed to reclaim his tongue. "I've known him for almost nine years and other than the receding hairline, he's exactly the same."

Abby and Wendy chortled as Tony's hands snapped up to his hair.

"Not nice, McBaldSpot."

Wendy had turned back to Gavin. "He really is a happy baby, isn't he? Can I hold him?" she asked, looking to Abby for permission.

"Oh! Go ahead," Abby urged. "We got to play with him all day. Share, McGee."

McGee obediently passed the baby over, although Tony noticed he watched Wendy carefully. His probie really was turning into quite the family man.

* * *

Abby was torn between watching Tony try to act casual or watching Wendy, who was stroking Gavin's arm and talking baby talk to him.

She hadn't been thinking when she'd dashed over to say 'hi' to Tony. It had completely slipped her mind that tonight was the night of the big dinner with Wendy. For a brief second she had almost let McGee drag her away, but then her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

Wendy was not at all what she had imagined. The petite blond was the polar opposite of any woman Abby had ever seen Tony with in the past. Somehow she had always imagined the legendary "Wendy" as the dark-haired lawyer type, abrasive and sly.

Her eyes didn't miss the ring on Wendy's left hand, obviously this wasn't an attempt at reconciliation. Abby had about a zillion questions she wanted to ask, and had no intention of holding them back.

"So, you guys almost got married?"

Tony groaned and McGee kicked her under the table, but Wendy just laughed.

"Yeah, I did." She nuzzled her face against Gavin's hair. "That was a long time ago, though."

"I know." Abby leaned forward. "I want to know everything about what Tony was like back then."

McGee was laughing too hard to notice the desperate looks Tony kept shooting him across the table. Abby was really enjoying herself.

"Hmm." Wendy bit her lip. "I'll have to think for awhile to remember all the really good stuff…"

"Oh thank god," Tony muttered.

"Did you know he camped out for a week to see Star Wars when they re-released the first movie?"

McGee's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh really," he said, turning his grin towards Tony.

Tony waved his hand in the air dismissively. "It was a classic cinematic experience I didn't want to miss out on."

Wendy leaned closer to McGee. "I still have pictures of him in his Han Solo costume," she whispered loudly.

"Weren't we going to order pie?" Tony desperately looked around for a waitress, any waitress.

"Did he make you dress up like Princess Leia?"

"Pie! Someone bring us pie!" Tony called plaintively.

Wendy reached across the table. "Don't worry, Tony. I won't tell them about the Wookie you got in a fight with."

"You got in a fight with a Wookie?" Abby and McGee asked in unison.

To Abby's dismay, and Tony's pleasure, their waitress chose that time to appear. They all ordered pie, except for Wendy who asked for a slice of cheesecake, and coffee, which their waitress had in front of them before Abby had a chance to get any more dirt out of Wendy.

McGee had offered to take Gavin back when their dessert came, but Wendy declined, saying she didn't need both hands to eat her cheesecake. He dozed off in her arms as they all sipped their coffee and watched Beth stab at her pie with enthusiasm.

"Your kids are beautiful," Wendy said as Abby cleaned bits of pie off of Beth's face.

Abby froze. She realized that to the average person it might look like she and McGee and the kids were a family, but this was the first time they'd encountered the misconception.

She glanced at McGee, but she couldn't read his expression. "Actually, Beth and Gavin are my first foster kids," she tried to say casually.

"Oh!" Wendy flushed. "I'm sorry, I just thought…you have the same green eyes…"

"It's okay," Abby reassured her, and it was. If Gavin and Beth stayed with her for much longer, she was sure it would come up many more times.

Wendy looked from Abby to McGee. "But you two are…"

"Friends," Tony clarified.

Abby wasn't sure why she felt a flare of annoyance when Tony answered for her. It was true after all.

* * *

"You should have seen it," Abby told Ziva, who was helping Abby out that morning in the lab on Gibbs' orders again. "I thought he was going to pass out when she said she had pictures of him in his Han Solo costume."

"I do not remember what this Han Solo looks like, but I trust that the pictures would be embarrassing, yes?" Ziva handed Abby a blank microscope slide and raised her eyebrows simultaneously.

"Very." Abby took the slide and applied a sample to it. "It's nerdy, Ziva. All those years of mocking McGee and it turns out Tony's a closet nerd."

"Then I am sure McGee quite enjoyed learning that little nugget of information."

Abby glanced over the computer to make sure Beth was still playing in her office. As the little girl became more comfortable with her surroundings, she played harder and explored more. Which was good, but a little terrifying.

Gavin was happily kicking in the bouncy chair she had gotten from Nina. It was covered in purple butterflies but the little boy didn't care, he loved the way it bounced when he kicked his legs.

"Anyway," Abby continued, returning to her work, "I gave Wendy my email address and she promised to send me the pictures when she unpacks them. If they're as awesome as I think they're going to be, I think we should blow one up and post it in the break room."

Ziva smirked. "Sounds like you and Wendy hit things off," she said, her voice becoming a bit drier.

"Yeah, kinda." Abby shrugged. "It just sorta happened."

"Oh!" Ziva exclaimed, looking around for the bag she'd brought with her. "I almost forgot, I brought something for you."

Abby accepted the plastic bag Ziva handed her. "Oh! You didn't have to get me anything," she exclaimed, even as she dug into the bag excitedly.

She pulled out what looked like a long band of black fabric with white skulls printed on it. "Don't get me wrong, Ziva, I love it, I really do. But what is it exactly?"

Ziva laughed, obviously not offended in the slightest. "It is a baby sling. A woman in my building makes them. I asked her to make one with a less 'pastel' fabric for you."

Abby nodded, still a little puzzled as she fingered the fabric. She did like the print.

"It is to hold the baby," Ziva explained. "I will show you how to tie it later. That way you can hold Gavin when he is cranky and still have your hands free to work."

"Oh!" Abby's face lit up as she finally realized what Ziva was talking about. "I've seen women using these before. Thank you so much, Ziva!" She flung her arms around her friend.

Ziva laughed and returned the hug. "It is just a small thing, Abby, but you are very welcome."

"It's not a small thing," Abby protested as she released her. "It's sweet and thoughtful and really, really useful. Right Gavin?"

The baby babbled up at them as his answer.

A 'ding' coming from the computer let Abby know that the DNA results she had been running were ready. Just as she turned to look at the data a loud rumbling noise came from the direction of Gavin's diaper.

Abby couldn't help but giggle when Ziva raised her eyebrows at him. "You have terrible timing," she told Gavin, turning away from her test results with a sigh.

Ziva waved her away. "I will do it. I cannot interpret DNA results but I can change a dirty diaper."

"You sure?" Abby hesitated. "That sounded like a gross one."

Ziva nodded resolutely. "I am certain I can handle one little baby diaper."

"That's what McGee said," Abby responded with a smile. "But go right ahead. I'm not going to fight you. Beth can show you where the diaper bag is."

After Ziva left the room, Abby pulled the DNA results up on one side of her screen and put a second set beside them. "All right," she said, using her best Maury Povich impression as she compared the two. "In the case of three month old Gavin Flynn… Joel Parker… you are NOT the father."

"Phew." Abby let out a long exhale. Good news for Gavin, bad news for the case. Joel Parker still hadn't given them a solid alibi, but they also didn't have any concrete evidence on him.

She'd really been hoping that Gavin wouldn't be Joel's son. Having a man like that for a father, that would be the pits. She'd only spent a couple minutes in his presence to swab his cheek, but that had been enough time to discover that he was a complete creep.

Despite the totally cool tattoo he had on his forearm.

She began setting the computer to run Joel's DNA against the partial sample Ducky had retrieved from under Christina Flynn's fingernails.

Abby took a moment to pray that they would match. Joel Parker was the first decent lead they'd had in days. The longer it took to solve the case, the more Abby worried that the killer might come after Beth.

Gibbs seemed to think that she'd seen something the day her mother was killed, although she obviously wasn't talking. Then again, the killer didn't know that. What if he decided Beth was a threat? What if Abby couldn't keep her safe?

She took a deep breath and backed away from the computer. Okay Abby, she told herself. You need to get a grip. If you freak out, you cannot work. If you cannot work, you cannot help solve the crime. And if the crime does not get solved, you'll have plenty to freak out about.

* * *

Beth was watching a movie on Abby's iPad with a pair of headphones on when Ziva carried Gavin into the office. She glanced up, but ultimately ignored Ziva, who spotted the diaper bag and headed over to Abby's desk after snagging it off the floor.

Ziva smiled a little at the towel already laying across the top of the desk. Apparently this was the current diaper changing station. She lay Gavin down on top of the towel and began pulling supplies out of the diaper bag.

Gavin was unusually silent as he watched her, poking his little tongue in and out of his mouth as if he had just discovered how the appendage worked.

Ziva thought about the email she had received the previous day from her friend Liora as she unsnapped Gavin's sleeper. Strangely, she and Liora had become closer since her move from Israel. They emailed and texted on a regular basis, things she had not had much time for in Mossad.

Ziva peeled back the tabs on Gavin's diaper and frowned. "That is rather disgusting," she told him, wrinkling her nose. She wondered if her delicate stomached friend knew how vile of smells could be found inside of babies diapers.

According to that last email, Liora was three months pregnant. She had been married for the past three years, but Ziva hadn't realized her friend was planning on having children, so it had come as somewhat of a shock to her. Liora had never been what you called a child person, but she must have changed her mind.

Ziva cleaned up Gavin with an efficiency that surprised her. Apparently it was not only Abby and McGee who were getting used to taking care of children.

Of course, she had been around children before, mostly in Israel, but she had never "baby sat" or "sat on a baby" (as she had called it once). It just seemed natural to help out because Abby was her friend. McGee was her friend.

She fastened the new diaper on Gavin, feeling her heart soften just a little as he gave her one of his gummy smiles. He really was a good baby. She finished re-dressing him and lifted the baby back into her arms.

"You make me think about things I do not wish to," she told Gavin seriously, as his hand tangled in her shirt. Ziva had rarely thought about having children, but the idea was worming itself in her brain more and more over the past few days.

"It might be time to find out," she murmured. She nuzzled the top of Gavin's head, never seeing Abby's shadow moving quietly back into the lab.

* * *

"Abby!" Tony's head shot up. "What are you doing up here?"

Abby shrugged. "Leon called me up. Said he had something he wanted to discuss with everyone." She'd been working alone since lunch and had been surprised when she'd received a summons.

McGee paused in his typing. "Where are the kids?"

"Jimmy's watching them." Abby had a little smile on her face. "When I left Beth was using my makeup to make him 'pretty'."

Ziva chuckled. "Palmer is a good sport."

"Palmer can't say no to women," Tony corrected. "I knew this would get him into trouble one of these days. Abby, that live feed to your lab is saved onto the system, right?"

He didn't see the headslap coming. Abby and Ziva snickered as Gibbs strode over to his desk, fresh coffee in his hand.

"What's up, Abbs?" Gibbs asked, situating himself in his chair.

"I called her up here." Vance walked down the stair case, slow and steady, all the agent's (and forensic scientist's) eyes on him. He too his time, walking carefully until he was able to speak to everyone.

Gibbs demanded to know what was going on with a single glare in Vance's direction.

"Local P.D. called a few minutes ago," Vance began. "There was a murder at the Motel 6 on Georgia Avenue."

"Who?" Ziva asked simply.

"They were able to identify the body as Lieutenant Brian Flynn."


	15. Chapter 15

" _I am here still waiting though I still have my doubts  
I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out"*_

*"Broken" by Lifehouse

Abby gasped, her hands covering her mouth. McGee stood up and put his arm around her and squeezed, attempting to convey some kind of reassurance with his presence.

"I guess that means he didn't kill his wife," Tony muttered, earning a glare from Ziva.

"They're sending the body and the evidence over for Ducky to handle. The scene is secured if you want to take a look at it." Vance directed that last statement to Gibbs, who nodded. "Under the circumstances, and after reading Agent Gibbs' report on this case, I'm placing the minor Flynn children in protective custody."

Abby was shaking now, McGee noticed, and eerily silent. Her hands were fisted in McGee's shirt and her emerald eyes were wide.

McGee's voice was as strong and steady as he could make it. "You think whoever did this may come after Beth."

"I do." Vance nodded. "I don't know if she saw anything, but if our killer thinks she did, she's a target."

"Do not worry, Abby, we will all keep her safe." Ziva's voice was low and directed only at Abby, but everyone heard her anyway.

"All right." Gibbs looked around the room, his gaze telling one and all that nothing less than exactly what he was about to say would be tolerated. "I want two agents at Abby's apartment at all times. Tony, I want you and Agent Paulsen to take the first shift tonight."

Gibbs spun his head around. "Abby?"

She nodded. "What?"

"You and McGee are off this case effective immediately. Your primary duty from now on is going to be to keep Gavin and Beth safe."

Abby's jaw dropped. "Off the case? What about my lab? What about my babies?"

"The most important thing for you is to take care of your real babies, Abbs. We'll bring in someone else to cover for you in the lab."

"But…" her voice trailed off, knowing that Gibbs was right.

"We'll call if we need you," Gibbs voice was a little softer now, a little gentler. "It's only temporary."

Abby nodded. "Okay." She looked numb.

McGee was standing beside her, feeling a little stunned. There was no doubt in his mind that Beth and Gavin were in danger and needed to be protected, but he had not expected Gibbs to pull him off the case too.

He felt somewhat awed and astonished at the same time. Despite the scheduled agents to guard them, McGee could read between the lines and see that Gibbs was effectively putting Gavin and Beth's safety in his hands. He was shocked that Gibbs had that much faith in him. After all that the man had been through, he would have expected Gibbs to place himself in charge of an operation like that. Cases with small children involved always turned Gibbs into the ultimate protector.

And a case that had small children and Abby potentially in danger? McGee was blown away by the level of responsibility Gibbs had placed on his shoulders.

As Gibbs continued briefing the other agents as to what they should expect, McGee felt Abby slip her hand into his. She squeezed his hand so hard that McGee felt several of her rings leaving impressions in his own fingers, but there was no way he was letting go.

He was not going to let anyone down.

* * *

Abby was still in shock as she stepped back into her lab. Was it still her lab? Someone was going to be taking over for her… indefinitely. Gibbs said it wasn't permanent, but they didn't know how long finding this killer was going to take.

"Abby?" Jimmy was standing in the doorway of her office looking concerned, Beth on one hip. He had little skull clips in his hair and smears of lip gloss on his cheeks.

She couldn't help but smile. Jimmy was going to make one hell of a father someday. Breena was a lucky woman.

"Abby?" He repeated, shuffling his feet a little and looking uncertain.

Abby ignored him, walking forward and pulling Beth into her arms for a big hug. "Hey, munchkin. Guess what? We get to go home early today."

Beth beamed, signing up at her.

"Yup, McGee's coming too." Abby ignored the confused look Jimmy was giving her and kissed Beth on the forehead. "How about you start putting your toys back in the bag, okay?"

Beth squirmed down and skipped off back into Abby's office.

Abby gestured for Jimmy to follow her to a corner of the lab, at which point her eyes welled up with tears and she began to shake.

"What's going on?" Jimmy moved as if to hug her, but she shook her head. "Why are you and McGee leaving so early?"

Abby swallowed. "Lieutenant Flynn was murdered last night. The Director, Leon, thinks that they might be coming after Beth next."

Jimmy's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

"Gibbs took us off the case."

"To keep Beth safe." Jimmy understood immediately.

"Yeah." Abby angrily swiped at her eyes. "What am I going to do, Jimmy? How am I going to keep her safe without my lab?"

Jimmy reached for her and this time she let him hug her. Abby wound her arms around his trim waist and pressed her face against the front of his scrubs.

It really wasn't about the lab. Contrary to popular opinion, Abby could live without her lab. The real problem was how helpless she felt without a clear directive. This morning it had all seemed so simple, solve the murder, help Beth. But without her job, without her tools, it just didn't feel possible anymore.

A tiny hand tugged on hers. Abby pulled away a little from Jimmy to find Beth staring up at her, silent questions in her eyes. "Hey munchkin," she whispered, stroking Beth's hair back from her face. "I'm okay, I just needed a hug and Jimmy gives really good hugs."

Jimmy let go of Abby with one arm and scooped Beth up with the other. "You're going to be fine," he told her firmly. "We, the whole team, we won't let you down."

Abby nodded. She knew they wouldn't. There was no one she trusted more than the members of the team. She knew even without her and McGee, they would find whoever was doing this.

It just felt weird. She'd never been kicked off a case before. It was a little like being dumped actually.

A grunt and a gurgle coming from the office announced that Gavin was awake and ready for action.

"You'd better get back to autopsy," she told Jimmy. "The um, the body will be here soon for you and Ducky to work on."

Jimmy set Beth down on the floor. "I'm sure Gibbs will keep you informed. And if he doesn't, I will."

Abby smiled at his newfound bravado. Jimmy, offering to go against Gibbs? Now that was quite an offer. "Thanks for watching the kids again. Beth seems to really like you."

"The feeling's mutual." Jimmy patted Beth on the head. "You don't need any help packing up or anything?"

"That's okay. McGee should be down here to help in a few minutes."

Gavin let out a squawk as Jimmy was leaving and Abby hurried into the other room to find him staring up from the portable crib looking rather perturbed that he had not been picked up yet.

"Sorry, buddy," she said, lifting him into her arms. "How dare I make you wait. I won't ever do it again, okay?"

Beth trailed behind her, watching Abby as she laid Gavin down on her desk and began unsnapping his sleeper. She really loved her little brother and liked being involved in his care. She would sit near Abby while she was feeding him and tickle his toes, or hand her diapers while she was changing his diaper.

That fascinated Abby, watching the sibling relationship between the two. It reminded her of when Luca was first born. Laura was a teenager, and Abby had been eight. Then had come Luca, this squirming, crying little bundle. Laura had loved him instantly, wanting to help take care of him and feed him. It had taken a little longer for Abby. She hadn't been sure what she thought of him until he had smiled at her for the first time. It was that moment that she had fallen head over heels in love with her baby brother, and vowed to protect him and take care of him the best that she could.

"Abby?" She listened to McGee's footsteps as he walked across the lab. He paused in the doorway, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Yeah?" Abby waited until the last second to remove the baby wipe she had tossed over Gavin's privates and fastened the clean diaper on him. That was a lesson she had learned quickly when changing Luca as a baby… keep it covered!

McGee patted Beth's head as she hugged his legs. "You almost ready to leave?"

Abby smiled a little at the hesitant tone in his voice. Her Timmy knew her so well. "I'm good," she told him, scooping Gavin up, "but the little guy needs to be fed."

McGee nodded, dropping his backpack lightly on the floor and holding his hands out. "Let me feed him while you finish up."

"Thanks." Abby handed the baby over and walked back into the lab, half listening to McGee talking to Gavin and Beth.

She shut down her computer first, feeling a twinge of anxiety with every switch she turned off. The closer she got to leaving the weirder it felt. This wasn't just a job to her, this lab was practically part of her family. She spent more time there than at her apartment. She almost slept there more than her apartment.

She saved Major Mass Spectrometer for last. As she listened to the machine power down, she took a deep breath.

This is important, she reminded herself. You're not going to let Gavin and Beth down.

No matter what.

* * *

Beth had no idea what was going on.

As she stood in the driveway holding tightly to Jethro's leash, she practically shook with excitement. She had no idea why Abby had insisted that they go get him from McGee's apartment, but she sure was happy about it.

Jethro was big and soft and never tried to run away. Beth hoped he was going to stay with them from now on because he made her feel safe.

Abby and McGee made her feel safe too, but it wasn't the same.

Right now McGee was getting her brother out of his baby seat and Abby was carrying a bunch of bags. They were going home from work early today.

Abby looked sad to be leaving, but Beth was happy. She liked being at her new home with Abby and McGee. It was fun and Abby let her color as much as she wanted. She didn't even care if she got marker on her clothes.

Beth missed her old home, but she liked her new home better. Abby didn't talk on the phone too much or yell or anything, and McGee didn't hog the TV to watch sports.

Abby had said that her Mommy died, and that was why she was staying with Abby and McGee. Beth didn't really understand what 'died' meant, just that she couldn't see her Mommy anymore.

She didn't like to think about that, because it made her sad.

Gavin was just a baby, he didn't understand about Mommy. He just smiled and drooled and pooped a lot.

Jethro licked her cheek and Beth giggled. Jethro was funny. He had a big tongue and he liked to lick her just like he licked the floor when McGee dropped some food on it. Maybe she tasted like food to Jethro.

Abby said Jethro would keep them safe. Beth didn't know why they needed Jethro to keep them safe, McGee was big enough to scare away any bad guys.

She was really glad they got Jethro anyway.

McGee made her feel nicer than anything else in the world. He'd found her when the bad men scared her and made her hide, and he hugged her and told her everything was going to be okay.

McGee gave really good hugs.

Beth didn't like to think about the bad guys either but sometimes when she was sleeping they came in her dreams. She wondered if Jethro could keep the bad men out of her dreams. Maybe that's why Abby said they needed Jethro.

McGee let her hold Jethro's leash as they walked up the stairs to her new home. Jethro didn't go too fast up the stairs, he waited for her and didn't pull.

McGee took Jethro's leash off when they got inside and Jethro went around and sniffed everything. He ate something off the floor near the stove and Abby yelled at him, but she was smiling so it was okay.

McGee patted her on the head a lot, like her Daddy always did. It must not be Daddy's turn to have her and Gavin. Her Mommy and Daddy didn't live together anymore so they had to take turns.

Abby was watching her with a funny look on her face. The same kinda funny look she had before she told Beth about her Mommy.

Beth decided to follow Jethro into the living room to play. She didn't want to think about sad stuff anymore.

* * *

"Did Beth look nervous to you?" Abby asked, staring towards the living room where Beth had just followed Jethro.

"What? Just now?"

Abby nodded. She had a peculiar look on her face.

"She just looked like she was having fun playing with Jethro to me." McGee looked around for somewhere to put Gavin. He considered the swing they had gotten from Abby's neighbors, but it kind of made him nervous. He wasn't sure he trusted a swinging baby seat on a plastic frame.

In the end, he just grabbed a blanket and lay it down in the corner where Gavin wouldn't get stepped on, and set the baby boy down softly on his back. He set a bright colored rattle (another hand me down) on Gavin's chest and watched the baby's eyes cross as he tried to grab at it.

When he stood back up, Abby was still staring off into the distance. "Abby? You okay?"

She blinked and turned towards him. "Yeah, just thinking."

"Everything's gonna be fine." It was such a stupid thing to say, but McGee couldn't think of anything better. It probably would be fine. He was about 97% sure.

Abby looked better now that they had Jethro. When she'd first said she wanted to bring his dog to her apartment McGee hadn't been sure, especially since he knew her landlord didn't allow pets. But the big smile that came across Beth's face when Abby asked… he couldn't say no to her, and Abby must have known that.

Now that Jethro was there, though, he could see the wisdom in her request. With agents outside and Jethro inside, he and Abby could concentrate on the kids without worrying every second. Knowing how loud Jethro was when the UPS man came (even if he was just walking past McGee's apartment on his way to another for deliver) was helping him relax.

Now if he could just get Abby to relax.

She opened the fridge and stared inside long enough for McGee to get a little antsy. "You need any help?" he asked hesitantly, shuffling his feet.

Making a split second decision, Abby pulled carrots and a cucumber out of the crisper and handed them to him. "Wash and cut," she instructed. "We'll have a fruit dinner."

"Fruit dinner?" McGee was confused.

Abby nodded. "That's what my mom used to call it. Basically it's just finger foods, veggies, fruit slices, cheese and crackers. She'd arrange it all in a smiley face or something. I loved having it as a kid."

"Okay." McGee headed for the sink. "Are you gonna arrange my food in a smiley face?" he couldn't resist asking.

"If you're a good boy," Abby responded.

* * *

When Tony knocked on Abby's door, the last thing he was expecting was to hear a huge dog hurtling towards the door, barking and growling.

"Sorry," McGee apologized as he let Tony in. "Abby thought we needed a watchdog tonight." He had Jethro by his collar and held him back until Tony was inside.

"You should be sorry," Tony told him. "And you owe me a new pair of underwear." Jethro sniffed Tony's offered hand and let out a snort.

"Leopard thong, right Tony?" Abby asked with a cheeky grin.

"That's enough out of you, McPeanutGallery." Tony pointed at her. "I thought dogs weren't allowed in your building?"

"They aren't." Abby picked up a plate and headed into the other room, Jethro's nails tapping on the floor as he followed her.

"I think she's more freaked out than she's saying," McGee told him in a low voice. He looked pretty freaked out himself, but Tony refrained from saying so.

He heard a rattling noise and squinted at one of the corners of the room, right next to the kitchen table. "Who put the baby on the floor," he said, kneeling beside Gavin and tickling his toes. "Did the mean McGee put you in the corner," he cooed in a deep voice.

Gavin let out a loud "abababa" and kicked his feet.

Tony pretended to be listening. "He did?" He turned around and glared at McGee. "You and Abby were playing doctor? In front of the children?" He waggled his eyebrows.

McGee reached over Tony and scooped Gavin up. "And that's quite enough Dinozzo association for the evening. I'm giving him to Abby before you completely corrupt him."

Tony waited for McGee to come back into the kitchen before he explained his reason for being there. "Gibbs wanted me to let you guys know that the protective detail is officially on duty."

"He stick you with the whole night shift?"

"Until six in the morning." Tony rolled his eyes. "This probie from one of the other teams they have me working with, Agent Paulsen? He's a piece of work. Kid's so green I'm pretty sure he's never even been on a stakeout before."

McGee smiled. "Aw, he can't be that bad."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah?" He went over to the window and pulled the curtains back an inch. "He's wearing sunglasses. And it's dark outside."

McGee let out a snicker. "Oh boy."

"Yeah." Tony let the curtain fall closed again. "So now you'll know who the creepy guys sitting in a car staring at the building are."

"I'm sure Mrs. Johnson will let us know all about it tomorrow," Abby said, walking back into the kitchen holding Gavin, whose eyes were drooping shut.

"Who's Mrs. Johnson?" Tony asked.

"Nosy downstairs neighbor," Abby responded.

"Has a bunch of cats," McGee added.

"Ah." Tony nodded. "I have one of those too. Only it's Mr. Smith, not Mrs. Johnson."

"Maybe we should fix them up; Give them something to do," Abby suggested, looking like she was about sixty percent kidding, but without the usual mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Not unless you really hate Mrs. Johnson," Tony deadpanned.

Abby shrugged. "She's actually kind of sweet."

"Sweet?" McGee furrowed his eyebrows at her.

"Well, she makes good oatmeal raisin cookies." Abby beamed at them.

McGee shook his head in amazement. Abby really could see the good in everyone. Or maybe she just brought out the good in everyone. Both options were equally probable.

"I should get going." Tony looked over at Gavin, who was now snoring softly in Abby's arms. "I'll be outside until six, trying not to kill the probie. You guys gonna be okay?"

Abby nodded. "Yeah, we're okay."

Not yet, McGee thought as Tony left. But they would be.

Eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus we come to the end of my completed chapters. Personal issues have kept me away from writing for quite some time but I have not given up on this story, not when I put so much work into it. I had a loose estimate of 40 chapters for this, so when I do get back to it there will be lots more for everyone. Thanks for your patience and I promise I feel guilty every time I get an alert!


End file.
